Morning Blaze Leaves 9 People Homeless

Nine people were left homeless Monday after an early morning fire seriously damaged the two-story apartment building where they lived, city fire officials said.

Forty firefighters extinguished the blaze at 5837 N. Whitnall Highway within minutes, but not before it caused $95,000 worth of damage to the building, said Jim Wells, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two adults leaped from a second-floor patio to escape the fire, which started in a first-floor apartment, Wells said. No one was injured in the blaze. The displaced residents were assisted by the American Red Cross.

Wells said the cause of the fire is under investigation.