AUBURN — Fire crews battled a blaze on Broad Street on Wednesday as flames ripped through the second floor of an apartment building.
The fire was reported at about 8:30 p.m. on the upper floors at 130 Broad St., with witnesses reporting smoke blowing out of the second- and third-story windows.
When firefighters burst through a second-story window, flames rolled out and shot toward the roof, according to one man who witnessed the action. Minutes later, fire crews had the blaze knocked down and an investigation into the cause got underway.
A man who lives on the other side of the street said the apartment house had been empty for months, although it appeared someone recently had moved in. It was not immediately clear how many people were rousted by the fire.
An hour after the blaze was reported, firefighters were going through the apartment house, searching for hot spots and blowing out smoke.
The apartment house is on the corner of Broad and Seventh streets. As fire crews from Auburn and Lewiston responded, police shut down a section of Broad Street to traffic.
The fire remained under investigation later Wednesday night.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
