Several tenants of a Lewiston apartment complex were evacuated following a fire Wednesday night.
The blaze was reported at about 4:10 p.m. at The Garden City Apartments located at 429 First Ave.
When crews arrived there was heavy smoke coming from the porch area of unit 308.
The building was evacuated as a precaution and nobody was home at the time of the fire – though a service dog perished inside the apartment. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters were able to attack the blaze and keep it contained to the single apartment. Crews were able to get the fire under control in about 30 minutes and remained on scene until 7 p.m. to check for hotspots.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the spontaneous combustion of oily rags in the porch of the apartment. Initial damage is estimated at $300,000, including the contents of the apartment.
