Students and staff at Steinbach Regional Secondary School in Steinbach, Manitoba, returned to classes on Monday, April 20, 2026, following a small fire in the school’s carpentry shop early Sunday morning.
The fire was reported at approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 19, 2026. According to the Hanover School Division, the building’s fire suppression sprinkler system activated quickly, containing the flames to the shop area before local emergency crews arrived. Fire Chief Kel Toews of the Steinbach Fire Department confirmed that the blaze was caused by the spontaneous combustion of a pile of rags that had been left on a workbench.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at 1:45 a.m. to find smoke in the hallway and shop area. Crews worked to ventilate the building and had the situation under control, returning to their station by 2:30 a.m. No injuries were reported during the incident.
While the fire itself caused only minimal damage to a wooden shelf, water from the sprinkler system resulted in additional cleanup for the area. The school division has confirmed that there is no disruption to classes and operations at the school, which serves approximately 2,200 students, are continuing as normal.
