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Winnipeg police have charged a 30-year-old man with two counts of second-degree murder following a fatal house fire on Agnes Street that claimed the lives of two women.
Douglas Wayne Jr. Nattaway has also been charged with two counts of arson with disregard for human life. Police say he was directly related to both victims.
At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Winnipeg Police Service Const. Claude Chancey said investigators determined the fire was deliberately set following a dispute between family members inside the home.
The fire broke out just before 10 a.m. Saturday at a two-storey house on Agnes Street between St. Matthews Avenue and Ellice Avenue.
Victims identified
Nineteen people were inside the residence at the time. The home contained two separate units, one on each floor. All occupants were forced to evacuate. Five people were taken to hospital, and two later died from their injuries.
Police identified the victims as 18-year-old Tiana Nattaway and 48-year-old Crystal Mary Ellen Beardy, both members of Garden Hill First Nation.
Chancey said the fire spread quickly, fuelled in part by a wooden porch structure attached to the house.
“It is miraculous there were no more injuries or fatalities,” Chancey said, commending the response from emergency crews, community agencies and residents who assisted those displaced.
Emergency social services arranged temporary lodging for evacuees, Winnipeg Transit provided buses for transportation, and community members donated clothing and housing support.
Police say there are no outstanding suspects. Nattaway remains in custody.
