AUBURN — A kitchen fire raged out of control Wednesday night and engulfed the side of an apartment house on Court Street.

The 9:30 p.m. blaze sent tenants scurrying from their apartments at 495 Court St.

Three people were taken to a Lewiston hospital as a result of the fire, including a boy 4 or 5 years old. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

Police and firefighters rushed into the burning building to clear residents as the side of the two-story building went up in flames.

“Flames were roaring right out of the windows when I got here,” said Derek Brooks, who lives a couple of buildings away from the fire site. “I could see the firefighters’ flashlights in there as they were trying to clear people out.”

Early reports were that all tenants from four apartments were accounted for. One was being treated for a nosebleed and another for pain as police blocked off Court Street and fire crews from Lewiston and Auburn knocked down the flames.

“It was partly engulfed,” said Kendra Giggey, who had just come home from work when she saw firefighters arriving at the house across the street. “I could hear them banging on doors and telling everybody to get out.”

The blaze was first reported as a kitchen fire. Within minutes of arriving, however, an Auburn police officer reported that the building was in flames on the Park Avenue side.

By 10 p.m., the blaze was under control and fire officials were expected to begin searching for a cause.

It was not immediately clear how many people live in the building. The local chapter of the American Red Cross was contacted to assist the victims.

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