Cleveland apartment fire displaces 55

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Authorities in Cleveland say 55 people temporarily can’t stay in their apartments after a blaze that sent black smoke billowing downtown.

The American Red Cross will help those who need somewhere to go after the Saturday evening building fire.

A Cleveland fire department spokesman says it could take days or weeks to make sure it’s safe to return.

No injuries were reported in the fire that broke out about 6:30 p.m.

Some 40 trucks and 80 firefighters responded. Smoke could be seen by baseball fans arriving at the nearby Cleveland Indians game with the Minnesota Twins.

Fire department spokesman Larry Gray told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that the fire started in the eighth-floor penthouse apartment. The owner wasn’t home, and the cause is under investigation.