Auburn firefighters respond to a fire Tuesday morning at 132 Spring St.. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

AUBURN — Several families were displaced from their homes Tuesday morning after a fire started in the first-floor stairwell of a Spring Street apartment building.

Battalion Chief Don Flanagan of the Auburn Fire Department said firefighters received a call at 9:13 a.m. about a fire at 132 Spring St.

Tenants were alerted to the fire by the building’s smoke alarms, Flanagan said, and attempted to use a fire extinguisher to bring the flames under control.

“They were unable to do so, so they all helped each other evacuate with their pets,” Flanagan said.

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With assistance from the Lewiston Fire Department, Auburn firefighters were able to bring the fire under control quickly, according to Flanagan.

“One tenant suffered some minor cuts, but otherwise there were no major injuries,” he said.

The Office of State Fire Marshal was continuing to investigate the fire Wednesday, and was still listing the cause as “unknown.”

Flanagan said power to the building was cut off and the tenants will likely be displaced until some of the damage to the first-floor stairwell is repaired.

“The American Red Cross came to the scene of the fire to help them out,” he said.

Auburn firefighters respond to a fire Tuesday morning at 132 Spring St. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal