Former schoolhouse, garage among damaged buildings
The heroic efforts of Interlake firefighters were on display last month as a pair of neighbouring departments worked together to battle an inferno that leveled multiple buildings near Gimli.
Firefighters from the Gimli and Fraserwood Fire Departments responded to a property on Provincial Road 231, between Highways #8 and #9, around 2:15 p.m. on Dec. 17, said Gimli’s deputy fire chief Ken Arnason.
Crews arrived to find one building completely engulfed in flames, with the blaze beginning to spread to another. The heat was so fierce it charred cinder blocks, melted the front of a nearby car and caused materials inside the burning buildings to burst from the pressure, he said.
Wind gusts of 50 kilometres per hour fueled the flames, which soared up to 30 feet tall and threatened neighbouring buildings.
“The guys did a great job because with such a high wind it could have taken the house,” Arnason said. “They were there around the clock, and continued to monitor the site long after the fire was out.”
Property owners Richard and Shelley Petrowski were in Winnipeg at the time of the fire, but were alerted to the emergency by friends and family. The pair rushed back to find their garage and an attached shed burning and two full complements of firefighters on hand.
The South Felsendorf school (1901-1957), which was once located on Hwy. 231 near the Gimli Yard, was one of the buildings damaged in the fire. The structure was moved to the family homestead by Richard Petrowski’s father, Edwin, in the late 1960’s. The school, which was situated behind the house and used as storage throughout the years, was reduced to rubble.
Although the property damage was devastating, the family is grateful that the house was untouched and that the children, who were home at the time, were uninjured, Richard said.
“We did not have insurance and we had 50 years of stuff in those buildings”, he said, adding the family is now picking through piles of rubble in an attempt to salvage anything that survived the blaze.
It is unclear what caused the fire, however there is no indication of foul play.
There will be no investigation by the Office of the Fire Commissioner as there was no insurance.
In a public Facebook message, the Petrowski’s extended sincere thanks to the collaborating fire departments for their quick response and incredible skill.
“We all know you cannot thank a fireman without thanking their families. I have no words to describe how grateful I am for the sacrifice you make,” the post said.
