People in a Winnipeg rooming house are alive this morning thanks to some alert WPS officers.

Officers on patrol in the area of Mountain Ave. and Salter Street spotted a fire in the building just before 1:30 a.m., Tuesday.

They were able to alert everyone inside and help at least 10 residents escape the flames.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service attended and was able to extinguish the fire in the 300 block of Mountain Ave. They were on scene for several hours.

The WPS cautions drivers in the area that while traffic has since been opened in the area, water from fighting the fire has turned to ice.