AUBURN – A Saturday night fire in New Auburn that left a family looking for other housing was caused by an electrical problem, officials said.

Fire Capt. Don Flanagan said the State Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the 10:43 p.m. fire at 41 Dunn St. was electrical in nature following an investigation Sunday. He said the blaze started in the third floor attic of the 3-story duplex behind a cubbyhole space where the roof line narrows.

Investigators determined the blaze then dropped down the second floor of the building. Most damage was confined to the second and third floors of the building’s right side. Flanagan said firefighters were able to quickly contain the blaze to a second floor bedroom, but then discovered that flames had traveled back up toward the attic.

While most crews cleared the scene at 1:24 a.m., Flanagan said one crew remained overnight watching for hot spots.

Flanagan said five people lived in the right-side unit of the building that sustained the bulk of the damage. He said all occupants were downstairs when the fire broke out and escaped without injury. The other unit was believed to be empty.

The two-unit building was built in 1920 and owned by Michael Higgins of Portland. Damage to the duplex, which was valued at $110,900, was estimated at about $60,000. Damage to contents was estimated at $30,000.

More than 25 firefighters from Auburn and Lewiston responded to the blaze.

Volunteers from the Red Cross and Salvation Army also provided assistance at the scene.