Two dogs die, house destroyed in Wellington Crescent fire

Two dogs were killed in a fire on Wednesday morning that destroyed a house in Wellington Crescent.

Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic teams rushed to block 800 of Wellington Crescent after receiving an early warning of a residential fire alarm monitored around 9:30 am.

Russian Deputy Chief of Staff Russ Drohomereski said the teams initially entered the house by the river to counter the fire that began in the basement, but that changed rapidly.

"With the house project, we had trouble finding access to the basement," Drohomereski said. "When they found it, the ground began to get compromised, so it was no longer safe to be inside.

"We went into a defensive strategy on the outside."

Firefighters were still at the spot near the intersection of Wellington Crescent and Waverley Street in the afternoon to extinguish any latent debris while heavy equipment demolished what was left. The street was closed for traffic in both directions.

The cause of the fire had not yet been determined, Drohomereski said, adding that the owner of the house was on the spot.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries to their legs.

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