Extension proposed for vacant building fire payment fee schedule in Winnipeg

Uptick in vacant building fires expected 2024 has been the worst year on record for vacant building fires in Winnipeg and it’s only expected to get worse. CTV’s Michelle Gerwing reports.

Owners of vacant buildings may have more time to opt into a new city program to pay for the cost of fighting fires on their properties.

The city’s community services committee, is asking for an extension of the opt-in deadline from December 31, 2024 to April 30, 2025, according to the committee’s upcoming meeting agenda.

“An extension is being requested to ensure the Department has sufficient time to calculate the invoice amounts and allow property owners appropriate time to choose to opt-in to the new program,” the report reads.

The reports said the recent postal strike did not allow all vacant building owners sufficient time to learn and understand the new fee schedule.

In October 2024, the city passed a new bylaw that introduced a fixed payment for homeowners whose vacant properties caught fire.

Instead of the cost of each firefighting apparatus’ time on scene, homeowners pay a fixed fee for fires, including $10,000 for the first fire on the property, and then increasing for each subsequent fire.

According to the most recent numbers from the City of Winnipeg, there have been 182 vacant building fires from January to October 2024, up from 156 in the full year of 2023.

The amendment will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting on January 10.