Occupants of the downtown Salvation Army were evacuated after a late morning fire. 

Late Friday, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews responded to a fire at the Salvation Army's seven-story apartment building on Henry Avenue.

Executive Director Major Gordon Taylor says the fire was started in a sixth-floor bathroom. WFPS were able to contain the fire to one room and smoke damage to one floor while evacuating around 200 people from the building.

"It looks like it was toilet paper that first caught fire," Taylor said. "Because the toilet paper dispenser is plastic, a lot of smoke was caused."

Taylor says the biggest repair should be cleaning and Salvation Army has already called a cleaning crew to deal with the damage. He says the sixth-floor will be closed for at least the rest of the day, but arrangements have been made for that floor's occupants to spend the night elsewhere.

One occupant and one firefighter were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. WFPS says the majority of occupants will be able to return to the building once ventilation of the building has been completed. Henry Avenue and Martha Street have been closed since the incident but should reopen by this afternoon.

The cause remains under investigation.