LEWISTON — Improper disposal of smoking material likely caused the fire at an apartment building at 425 Main St. that displaced 32 people, officials said Monday.

The cause of the blaze was listed as accidental after an investigation by the Lewiston Fire Department and the Office of State Fire Marshal.

A shelter had been set up Sunday night at the Lewiston Armory, manned by workers from the American Red Cross, and tenants displaced by the blaze were coming into the shelter throughout the day Monday to have meals and to work on plans for temporary housing.

Nobody was injured when flames engulfed three porches on one side of the three-story apartment house Sunday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, there was no official word on whether any pets had been lost.

As the fire spread, Bill Redmun and his friend, Christine Fuller, busted their way into the building to search for trapped tenants.

They had spotted the blaze from a nearby 7-Eleven, Redmun said, and immediately abandoned their car to help, kicking in doors and breaking out windows to enter the building. He rushed up the stairs, banging on walls and knocking on doors to let people know the building was ablaze.

Redmun said he carried one child down the stairs during the rescue.

“It was the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Redmun said. “I still have adrenaline. I can’t sleep. It was absolutely crazy.”

Redmun gave an account of the rescue to police at the scene. The identity of the child was not known on Monday.

Other witnesses described a blaze that moved incredibly quickly from lower floors up to the roof.

“I was getting ready to go to the gym,” said Sarah Michelle, who lives near the building that burned. “My cats started freaking out and running for the window. Looked out and saw huge flames. Felt the heat from there. I have never, ever seen a fire go so fast or burn so hot. It was actually very scary!”

The building that burned is the property of Chris Aceto, who has owned it for 20 years. Lewiston fire Chief Mark Caron said the property was released to Aceto by Monday afternoon.

The future of the building, badly damaged by fire, smoke and water, remained unclear. The building was constructed in 1877.

In battling the blaze, Lewiston firefighters were assisted by other crews from around the area. Caron said his team encountered no unusual problems battling the fire.

By Monday afternoon, sleeping quarters set up Sunday for the displaced tenants were being taken down as Red Cross workers tried to find permanent housing for the tenants.

“Despite their efforts, the fire gained a foothold in the attic space, and crews repositioned for defensive operations,” according to a fire department Facebook post. “It took firefighters roughly six hours to place the fire under control.”

Crews remained at the scene into Monday morning snuffing out hot spots. Lewiston firefighters were assisted in their efforts by crews from Auburn, Brunswick, Greene, Lisbon, Litchfield, Richmond, Sabattus, Topsham and Winthrop.

The American Red Cross along with The Salvation Army assisted firefighters with food and hydration at the scene of the fire.

On Monday, Red Cross workers turned their attention fully to the tenants of the buildings, who had been allowed to bring their pets into the shelter.

“At this point, the dormitory is closed but we continue to work with our clients to ensure that their recovery is in place and happening,” said Eric Lynes, disaster program manager with the Red Cross. “We have caseworkers working with each family now.”

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Lynes said the Red Cross efforts include financial assistance for some of the tenants. City officials were in contact with the Red Cross about those efforts.

“I appreciate city administration along with our Recreation and Public Works departments working together with the Red Cross to quickly stand up a shelter for our affected neighbors,” Mayor Carl Sheline said on Monday.

City Councilor Joshua Nagine posted on Facebook that those wishing to provide assistance to the fire victims should go through the Red Cross.

“If you wish, a donation to the Red Cross helps to pay for gift cards and covers part of the cost of response,” he wrote. “If you are a landlord with an open apartment and wish to help, keep that apartment open for a couple weeks, folks looking for housing will surface very soon.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who has reached out with care and compassion,” Nagine wrote. “It makes a difference in times like these to know there are people who care deeply about others in our community in times of loss.”