Residents of a Winnipeg apartment building were forced out by an early morning fire on Wednesday.

Sargent Avenue, around 4:30 a.m. Residents of this Winnipeg apartment building were forced out by an early morning fire on Wednesday. (Meaghan Ketcheson/CBC) Fire fighters were called to the 600 block of McGee Street, just north ofAvenue, around 4:30 a.m.

"When I looked out the window, there was sparks. I didn't know what was going on," said Jason Grant, who lives on the second floor of the building.

Grant went outside and shot video of the fire.

"I was just so shocked at how close it was from my apartment," he said. "It was unbelievable."

District fire Chief Gordon Cannell said black said smoke was seen when crews arrived, and 14 people had safely escaped the three-storey building on their own.

The fire started in the living room of a third-floor suite but the exact cause is still being determined, Cannell said.

Grant said he isn't sure if he'll be able to return to his suite today.

"I'm going to have to look for another place," he said. "I hope the family has some space somewhere."

Damage is estimated at $250,000.