Crews battle blaze at notorious Winnipeg “murder mansion”

Multiple fire crews are battling a blaze in a three-storey rooming house on Balmoral Street Thursday morning.

Crews are in defensive mode, meaning they are fighting the fire from the outside.

Crews were called around 2:30 a.m., and are still expected to be on scene for several hours.

Police say it was vacant at the time of the fire and slated for demolition, so no injuries have been reported.

The rooming house has been the site of several violent incidents over the years, including stabbing deaths in 2008 and 2009, and a fatal assault in 2013.

Neighbours have dubbed the house “murder mansion”.

Related: Police identify man found dead in “murder mansion”

Police have closed off several streets in Winnipeg including eastbound Cumberland at Spence Street as well as Balmoral between northbound Notre Dame and southbound Cumberland.

Those are expected to remain closed throughout the morning.