photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A fire early Wednesday, May 5, 2021, displaced 10 occupants of an apartment building at 507 Colorado St. Firefighters say the fire started on the exterior of the building.

Ten occupants of an apartment building on Colorado Street were displaced after a fire early Wednesday morning, according to a news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 507 Colorado St., where flames were showing from the exterior and roof of the building when they arrived. They were able to confine the fire damage and prevent additional spread, according to the news release. However, 10 occupants in four apartment units were displaced and were assisted by the Red Cross.

One occupant was evaluated for minor injuries, the release said, and one firefighter was taken to the hospital for evaluation but has since been released.

The fire is under investigation, and the damage is still being estimated.

The fire started on the outside of the building, the release said. Occupants were initially notified of the fire by bystanders in the area or other occupants of the building. Once the fire got inside the building, smoke alarms also alerted occupants.

“Lives were saved by good citizenship and working smoke alarms,” Division Chief Tom Fagan said in the release.