One woman is dead after a duplex containing six suites caught fire in central Winnipeg Friday night.

Fire crews arrived on scene to find a main floor suite completely engulfed in fire.

Firefighters battled the blaze quickly at a home on McDermot Avenue between Isabel and Juno streets.

Acting Platoon Chief Don Enns said one person was found dead in the residence where the fire started.

"Fire crews removed the fatality from the fire scene," said Enns. "The fatality was immediately transferred to paramedic units that were on scene."

Three people, including one adult and two children, were evacuated from the other half of the duplex safely.

Crews were initially called to the duplex, located in the 500 block of McDermot Avenue, for a report of smoke around 7:45 p.m.

Three engines, one rescue, one ladder truck, a district chief, platoon chief and a deputy chief responded to the scene as well as three paramedic units.

Winnipeg police are investigating.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.