Five apartment units were damaged during a fire

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Multiple families are without a place to live after an apartment fire damaged 5 units on Tuesday.

Fresno firefighters responded to a two-story apartment building on Ashlan Avenue a bit before 11 a.m.

The first-arriving engine company found heavy smoke and fire coming from multiple units in the building.

Firefighters confirmed all residents had safely evacuated, then worked to stop the fire from spreading further.

Because of high temperatures and the size of the incident, additional resources were called in, bringing a total of 42 fire personnel to the scene.

Five apartment units were damaged.

Firefighters also rescued several pets, including multiple dogs and cats, but one cat did not survive.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.