Boarded-up house in central Winnipeg to be demolished after 2nd blaze

A boarded-up house in Winnipeg's Point Douglas neighbourhood will be demolished after it burned for the second time in months on Thursday, the city says.

The two-storey home is at the corner of the Disraeli Freeway and Argyle Street, and fire crews had to shut down all but the median lane of the freeway for part of the morning.

Firefighters went to the home at 6 a.m. Thursday and saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the home, the city said in a news release.

They fought the fire from outside using an aerial ladder as it was too dangerous to enter.

The fire was brought under control shortly before 9:30 a.m., the city said.

One firefighter was assessed by paramedics near the home. No other injuries were reported.

The home, which was previously damaged by a fire in June, sustained severe fire, smoke and water damage. The fire paramedic service is arranging an emergency demolition of the home due to concerns about its structural integrity and lingering hot spots.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

In a social media post, United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Nick Kasper included images and video that showed flames leaping several feet into the air above the home's roof.

"Initial-arriving crews attempted an aggressive interior attack but were forced to withdraw due to deteriorating and unsafe building conditions," Kasper's post said.

Crews from Wednesday night’s shift responded and were working overtime, he said.