Winnipeg police are investigating fire as possible arson

Winnipeg police are investigating after officers had to help rescue a man trapped in the basement of a North End home that was on fire Friday morning.

Shortly after midnight, officers responded to a fire at a two-story home in the 700 block of Flora Avenue.

They found a man trapped in the basement, fully engulfed in flames, meaning officers couldn’t get in through the doors. The basement windows were also previously boarded up with plywood and security bars.

The officers used a shovel and ice scraper found in the yard to attempt to remove the plywood until backup arrived with breaking tools. They were able to find the man, lead him to the window and get him out of the basement.

The victim, a 53-year-old man, was taken to hospital in unstable condition but was later upgraded to stable. Two officers were treated for minor injuries.

The Winnipeg Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire.

The police call the fire suspicious and are currently investigating whether it was arson.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Crimes Unit.