By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Fire crews struggled to contain an apartment fire at 5 Gamage Ave. late Friday night and keep it from spreading to neighboring buildings.

There were no injuries reported, according to Auburn Fire Chief Wayne Werts. But the fire appeared to have destroyed the four-story, blue vinyl-sided building where owner Stephen Martelli and at least seven tenants resided.

Werts said the fire appeared to originate in the basement. The first calls went out at 8:31 p.m. and flames had engulfed the basement and top floors by 9 p.m.

“It just spread up past the middle floors with nothing in the way to stop it or slow it down,” Werts said.

All residents of the building got out safely, he said.

“At first, we thought there might be people in the basement,” Werts said. “We didn’t find anyone, however. Everybody got out.”

Crews were still battling the blaze at 11 p.m. Werts said it was too early to assign a cause.

According to Doug Hoyt, executive director of the United Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, the agency was providing lodging at a local motel for one family of five Friday night. But, Hoyt said he expects to be working with at least one more family that found lodging Friday night, but would be in need today.

At least four engines each from Lewiston and Auburn responded to the fire, with firefighters from Minot and Mechanic Falls backing them up. Police closed off the streets surrounding the apartment – from Western Promenade to Gamage Avenue, Goff, Hampshire and Dennison streets.

That didn’t stop neighbors and onlookers from gathering to watch. Dozens stood on Western Promenade on the road overlooking the apartment building watching firefighters trying the extinguish the burning roof. Others gathered in Pettengill Park, directly across from the apartment, watching flames spread up the back of the building.

Witnesses said the flames were first visible along the west side of the building, next to an open lot on the corner of Hampshire and Gamage. The fire moved inside the building on the top and bottom floors, with fire crews positioned all around the building. Fire crews from Lewiston blasted flames from the west while other firefighters took up position on the third floor balcony of neighboring 9 Gamage St. to hit it from the east. Meanwhile, an Auburn platform truck blasted water from above.

Smoke and steam, born by cold winds, blew south down Goff Street making roads slippery and seeing virtually impossible.

Crews from Central Maine Power turned off electricity to several downtown Auburn blocks , from Summer Street west to Granite Street. Power was restored by 10:40 p.m.

The local Red Cross chapter’s resources have been strained as of late, with Lewiston’s fatal Blake Street fire this week that displaced 25 people. Hoyt said the agency would welcome any donations, and encouraged interested persons to attend its blood drive at the Auburn Mall today.