AUGUSTA — An early morning fire at a Drew Street apartment building left six residents homeless.

Fire was reported at the apartment building at 23 Drew St. just after 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Damage was contained to a second-floor apartment, but the entire second floor sustained heavy smoke and water damage and the third and first floors also sustained some smoke and water damage, according to Augusta Battalion Chief Steve Leach.

The fire displaced six residents of the eight-unit apartment building, which is owned by Royce Watson, of Augusta. Leach said the American Red Cross placed the residents in a local motel temporarily.

He said residents of the building’s first and third floors probably would be able to return to their apartments quickly, after some repairs.

Leach said the fire started in the living room couch of the second-floor apartment where most of the damage occurred, and it appears to have been caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.

The cause is not under further investigation.

No firefighters or residents were injured, Leach said.

Firefighters from Gardiner and Togus also responded to help Augusta’s crew. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.

Later Saturday, a pile of fire-charred debris lay next to the older, red-and-white, wood shingle-sided building, which is near Drew Street’s intersection with Western Avenue.

The three-story, 3,900-square-foot building and 0.16-acre lot it stands on are valued at $206,000, according to city assessing records.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com