An elderly man escaped a fire that destroyed a West St. Paul home Thursday.
The call came in around 3 p.m. on Wheatland Road, just north of Winnipeg.
Firefighters on scene believed the fire started in the basement.
West St. Paul Fire Chief Ryan Yackel said an elderly man was home when the fire started. He escaped and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Yackel said heat and flames kept firefighters back and forced them to fight defensively. He called damage extensive.
Thursday night, an excavator tore through rubble so firefighters could reach the basement.
The fire commissioner is investigating how the fire started.
