Ten adults and three children were safely evacuated before a three-alarm fire caused heavy damage to a Temple apartment building Saturday.

Temple firefighters were called to the Arbors Apartments at 2416 S. 13th St. at 8:19 a.m. as police were working to evacuate residents. Minutes after firefighters arrived, the fire grew more intense, prompting the Incident Commander to call for a second and then third-alarm response.

By the time the fire was under control, firefighters from all eight Temple stations were at the scene, and fire crews from Troy, Morgan’s Point, and Belton were manning the city’s stations in case of any more emergencies.

The fire was extinguished around 9:18 a.m.

Investigators determined that the fire was started by an electrical exhaust fan in a second floor bathroom. The flames quickly spread to the building’s shared attic space.

There were no injuries, but some families were unable to return to their apartments. The American Red Cross and apartment staff were working with the families Saturday afternoon to make arrangements.

More From KUSJ-FM