Early morning apartment fire in Madera displaces three families

Fire at a two-story triplex apartment in Madera early Sunday morning left three families displaced, authorities said.

Dispatchers received calls for a fire on Roosevelt Avenue near McNally Memorial Park just after 6 a.m. Firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded within minutes and found the triplex in flames, said Madera police Sgt. Felix Gonzalez. All of the occupants were safely out of the apartments.

Gonzalez said that the single upstairs unit and one of the downstairs units were gutted with flames. The other unit was uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.

The fire was extinguished within about 30 minutes, said Cal Fire Capt. Ryan Davis.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Gonzales said.

Police have requested the American Red Cross’ assistance in offering lodging for the three families.

This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Early morning apartment fire in Madera displaces three families."