City of Brandon Continues Downtown Brandon Fire Response

May 20, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 5:30 p.m.

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Emergency Response Team continues its response to the series of structure fires in downtown Brandon that broke out on the afternoon of Saturday, May 19th.

The investigation continues into the cause of the fire that initially broke out at the Christie’s Office Plus building in the 700-block of Pacific Avenue and later spread to two additional buildings on the 500-block of Pacific Avenue (Massey Manor and a strip mall housing Collyer’s Sales and Service/Brandon Boxing Club/Kazic Kontracting), and the Knights Inn Cold Beer Store and vacant nightclub at the corner of Fifth Street and Rosser Avenue. Brandon Fire and Emergency Services personnel were assisted in battling the blazes by Manitoba Hydro, the Office of the Fire Commissioner, and the Souris, Wawanesa and CFB Shilo Fire Departments. A cause for the initial fire has not yet been determined.

Christie’s Office Plus, the strip mall and the beer vendor/vacant nightclub were destroyed, while the Massey Manor building sustained significant fire and water damage. As of late-Sunday afternoon, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services personnel were continuing to wet down the remains of the Christie’s Office Plus building and the strip mall. While attending to the fire scenes on Pacific Avenue on Sunday afternoon, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services were called to attend an unrelated vehicle fire caused by mechanical issues in the area of 10th Street and Pacific Avenue. This vehicle fire was quickly extinguished without further incident.

An initial inspection of Massey Manor was conducted by members of the Brandon Emergency Response Team and the Office of the Fire Commissioner on Sunday afternoon, with significant water accumulation on each floor still needing to drain. As such, the building is not safe for occupant re-entry at this time.

Members with the Brandon Police Service worked to re-open Princess and Rosser Avenues to traffic and building occupants along those streets by mid-Sunday afternoon, with certain access points to fire sites off Rosser Avenue still restricted. Access to Pacific Avenue from Fifth Street to Eighth Street remains barricaded until fire crews leave the area.

The City of Brandon, with assistance from the Canadian Red Cross and the Province of Manitoba, continue to care for registered evacuees. Discussions between all involved organizations are ongoing as to future accommodations for residents of Massey Manor. The City of Brandon would like to thank the Brandon Bear Clan and all other community organizations that have stepped forward to help with the collection of donations of clothing and personal necessities for those families who have been displaced by the fires.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported relating to these fires or the response to these fires. The City of Brandon’s Emergency Response Team wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to all authorities and organizations that have assisted with its fire response thus far and asks for the public’s understanding and cooperation as its response continues.