Fire torches Manitoba Avenue home, sends 1 to hospital in Winnipeg

One person is in hospital in stable condition Sunday after a fire spread through a home on Manitoba Avenue.

Fire crews were called to the home at about 11:30 a.m. after a Winnipeg Transit bus driver reported a house fire on Manitoba between McPhillips Avenue and McNicholStreet.

People in the home managed to escape before the fire spread to the second floor and attic, but one person was taken to hospital, a spokesperson with the city said.

Fire crews extinguished the "stubborn fire" just after 1 p.m., the spokesperson added.

Neighbourworriedabout arson

Sabrina Boreskilives onSelkirkAvenue, a few blocks away from the home on Sunday.

"It is scary because if it's arson or something doing this, I mean, we're so close," she said.

She and her 13-year-old sonAndreaswalked to the home after seeing smoke in the neighbourhood.

"We wanted to make sure everyone was okay," she said.

"It's so close to our house. We wanted to figure out what was going on."

Andreas said he didn't want to get too close to the house for fear of inhaling smoke. He reported seeing a number of people coming to and from the house for a few monthsbut said he and his mom did not know the people that live there.

"I've seen the people in that house and wondered if they were okay or if anyone was hurt," he said.

The fire's cause and a damage estimate haven'tyet been released.