LEWISTON – Police on Wednesday joined the investigation into a Tuesday night blaze that gutted a three-story apartment house on Union Street.

By Wednesday morning, the blaze at 14 Union St. had not been declared suspicious. However, police detectives spent part of the day canvassing the neighborhood at Union and Oak streets, talking to people who live near the fire scene.

The 8 p.m. blaze started in a third-floor apartment on the Union Street side of the tenement, fire officials said. The man who lived in that apartment was not home when the fire began.

Once the blaze was brought under control, fire inspectors remained inside the burned-out tenement into the early morning hours. No cause was released on Wednesday.

“There are still a lot of things pending in the investigation,” said Fire Inspector Paul Ouellette. “We need to rule things out and go through all the steps.”

The fire left eight people homeless and caused an estimated $40,000 damage to the building. A cat initially believed to have perished in the flames was later rescued by a firefighter, who found the animal cowering in a second-floor apartment.

“The cat seemed very happy to see someone,” Ouellette said. “The cat is fine and dandy.”

The animal was turned over to its owner, a man who fled his apartment when the building began to burn.

Among those left homeless by the fire was a couple with two babies who lived on the first floor. That family and other residents were being assisted Wednesday by the United Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The relief organization has been tapped this year by a spate of fires in several parts of its coverage area. The group helps displaced families with food, clothing and lodging and assists them in finding new homes. They also rely on donations to continue their work.

“We’ll continue to provide those services,” said Joline Bedard, executive director of the local Red Cross. “But our budget is exhausted. We’re looking for community support.”

Donations can be mailed to the United Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 439, Auburn, ME., 04212-0439.