A fire at a Corvallis apartment complex early Sunday damaged two units, but caused no injuries.

The fire began at about 2:15 a.m., outside a 16-unit apartment complex in the 900 block of Circle Boulevard.

Neighbors across the street who were up late playing video games saw flames, according to Corvallis Fire Prevention Officer Jim Patton. After calling 911 they ran across the street and began knocking on doors to awaken residents of the building. The fire alarms were ringing.

The fire started outside the building on the patio and had not gotten inside the building at that point.

Patton said fire department investigators were still looking into the cause of the fire.

“It may have been associated with the disposal of smoking materials,” such as a cigarette, he said.

The flames shot up to the balcony of the upstairs apartment, blocking the resident from getting out. Firefighters provided a ladder to the rear window of the apartment, but the flames were quelled quickly, and the resident was able to leave through the front door.

The building’s owner found accomodations for the two downstairs occupants whose apartment was damaged. The Red Cross was also on the scene to help.

None of the other residents of the apartment complex needed to be evacuated.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Gazette-Times