SABATTUS – An early morning blaze forced four families out of their homes as flames tore through an apartment building on Hemlock Street.

Nobody was hurt in the 7:30 a.m. fire, but the two-story building was damaged by flames, smoke and water. Firefighters saved two dogs and a cat while battling the blaze.

“When we got there, the first-floor rear apartment was heavily involved,” said Assistant Fire Chief Marcel DeForge.

The fire at Hemlock Street and Green Road forced some children to take different walking routes to nearby Sabattus Elementary. Some of them had to walk around firetrucks and across hoses as they made their way to class. School bus drivers had to find different routes to the school as well, as fire hoses snaked across the street.

Some Sabattus residents reported they could see and smell smoke from a mile away when the apartment house first began burning. Sabattus fire fighters were assisted by crews from Lewiston, Greene and Lisbon.

“When we first got there, Lewiston literally pulled in right behind us,” said DeForge. “That was really nice.”

Crews from Lewiston responded with two engines and a ladder truck, adding 10 firefighters to the effort. Firefighters entered the burning building and attacked the flames directly.

“They made a good stop,” DeForge said. “The first crews in pretty much stopped the fire in the kitchen.”

A couple lives in the apartment where the fire began, DeForge said. Mike Foster, the owner of the building, lives on the second floor.

All the families were expected to return to their homes over the weekend after damage to wiring and heating systems were repaired.

“It’s quite fixable,” DeForge said.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to assist with an investigation into the cause of the fire. The exact cause had not been determined.