Manitoba's second fatal fire this week claimed the life of a 35-year-old wife and mother of two. It happened in the 600 block of Stewart Street early Saturday morning.
Neighbour John Armatas told CTV News a loud bang woke him up.
"I took a look outside and I saw flames and smoke, so right away I phoned 911," he said.
When fire officials arrived the house was engulfed.
Fire Chief Terry Gardiner says the fire appears to have started in the basement while a husband and wife were inside sleeping.
"Somehow the man was able to wake-up," Gardiner says. "When we got here [he] was on the lawn calling for his wife."
"The guys worked extra hard after we got the report that someone was in the house," he added. "The adrenaline really kicked in."
Because of the severity of the flames and smoke, firefighters had to make two attempts to enter the house.
When they found the woman, she was unconscious. She was rushed to hospital in serious condition and later succumbed to her injuries.
Neighbours have indentified the couple who lived at the house as 36-year-old Brian Bergen and his wife Helen. Their two teenaged daughters were away at a sleepover at the time of the fire.
Fire officials are still investigating the blaze, but it is not considered suspicious.
The single story home was completely destroyed.
According to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic service, the month of December is their busiest time of year with an average of two hundred fires.
Earlier this week a Stonewall woman was also killed in a house fire. A ceramic heater is believed to be the cause.
Three children also perished in a fire in Newfoundland Saturday, and three people died in a fire the same day in Quebec.
Six people in Saskatchewan were also killed in house fires this week.
With a report from CTV's Shaneen Robinson
