Winnipeg crime news: A woman aged 40 is charged with arson with disregard for human life after the fire that caused an estimated $1 million in damage at the Alma Apartments on Young Street in West Broadway, and Winnipeg police say she is detained in custody.
By Maplestime Winnipeg Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 13, 2026
Sources: CBC News Manitoba, Prairie Gazette | Last updated: November 13, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A woman aged 40 is charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson causing damage to property after the Alma Apartments fire.
- Police say the fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage to the three storey building at 269 Young St.
- The woman was arrested at a home on Selkirk Avenue in the North End and is detained in custody.
- No tenants were reported injured. One firefighter was injured and treated at the scene. Two cats were found dead.
- Police have not said whether anyone else might have been involved. The investigation is continuing. The charges have not been tested in court.
What Police Say Happened at 269 Young Street
The fire broke out on Thursday morning, around 9:20 a.m., at the three storey Alma Apartments complex at 269 Young St., just south of Portage Avenue. Officers responding to a wellbeing call spotted the fire and helped fire paramedic crews evacuate tenants from the building.
The Winnipeg Police Service major crimes unit determined that a tenant set a fire in a suite, barricaded the door and then escaped through a window. Police arrested the woman at a home on Selkirk Avenue, between McGregor and Parr streets, in the North End.
What We Still Do Not Know
Police spokesperson Const. Pat Saydak would not confirm whether the woman was a tenant in the apartment that was set on fire. He would not say whether anyone else might have been involved, but said police are continuing their investigation. No name has been released and no court date has been stated.
The Damage and the People Forced Out
Damage to the building is estimated at $1 million, police say. The fire forced dozens of tenants from their homes, and some of them will not be able to return. No tenants were reported injured. One firefighter was injured and treated at the scene. Two cats were found dead in the building.
The fire was one of three morning blazes Winnipeg firefighters battled on Thursday. The cause of the other two fires is still under investigation.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Alma Apartments arson case as announcements are made.
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Should arson charges in cases like this one move faster through the courts, or is the slow pace the price of getting it right? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Winnipegger following the West Broadway fire.
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