Pool supply building catches fire, traffic rerouted on McGillivray Boulevard

Joey Walker watched as his pool supply company just west of Winnipeg crackled in flames on Wednesday afternoon.

"My whole warehouse is gone ... most likely everything in our little compound area as well," said Walker, the general manager and co-owner of Pool Pros on McGillivray Boulevard, just after 2:30 p.m.

"I'm basically just watching my signs smoulder away on the front of the building right now."

All traffic in the area has been rerouted because of potential hazardous substances contained in the building, RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said in an email shortly after 3 p.m.

Those road closures will remain in effect for some time, he said.

Manaigre said the massive fire that sent up smoke clouds seen across Winnipeg was reported to the RCMP's Stonewall/Headingley detachment at 1:30 p.m.

Nearly two hours later, officers were still at the scene as fire departments from the rural municipality of Macdonald and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service worked to extinguish the flames, he said.

Crews were still on scene just after 8 p.m. as flames engulfed the entire single-storeybuilding and black clouds of smoke billowed out of the structure. By then, crews from the Headingley and Morrisfire departments had arrived to help extinguish the blaze.

As of 9:30 p.m., Headingley Fire Department chief Doug Hansen said the fire was still going, and expected crews would need to be there through the night.

Hansen said there were many toxicchemicals and other combustibles, such as tires, in the building, making firefighting efforts more difficult. He suspected the building was a total loss given the extent of the damage.

Winnipeg's transportation management centre said east and westbound McGillivray west of Columbia Drive were closed to traffic.

Later, so was McGillivray at Kenaston Boulevard.

The nearby FortWhyte Alive said on Twitter it also closed for the day around 2:30 p.m. because of the fire.

No injuries reported

Walker said there were about 10 employees inside the building when the fire broke out, but everyone got out safely.

Staff went to warn people at other businesses in the compound, which include a pallet supplier, a gymnastics club and a vehicle detailer.

"We got them all to run around to all the other businesses to make sure everyone got out safely because, you know, it was expanding pretty rapidly," Walker said in a phone interview.

"We got everyone out of the adjoining businesses out and everyone's OK."

Manaigre confirmed no injuries were reported.

Walker said he still doesn't know how the blaze broke out in the single-storey building just that it seemed to have started on the outside of his shop, which takes up roughly 4,500 square feet of the building.

"I'm happy everyone's safe," Walker said.

"I'm just I'm sad for my business and for my employees who don't know if they're going to be coming back to work and my customers, you know. We're like a family there."