(Photo by PATRICK KERRIGAN) Residents of the apartment building at 113 Temple St. watch at right as firefighters work to bring Thursday morning's two-alarm fire under control. No injuies were reported.

NASHUA — Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Kerrigan arrived at the scene of a reported apartment building fire just after dawn Thursday morning and spotted several people through the smoke coming from the second-floor windows.

Kerrigan promptly struck a second alarm, bring additional engine and ladder companies to the scene, while first-arriving crews set up ground ladders to the second floor. They ended up rescuing four people over the ladders, then confirmed that everyone was out of the building.

The fire, at 113-115 Temple St., on the corner of Temple and Scripture streets, caused “extensive fire and smoke damage” to the apartments, leaving the building uninhabitable and forcing the 15 people living there to seek temporary shelter with the assistance of a team from the American Red Cross.

Crews entering the building with hoses located fire in the basement, and found that it was extending into the first floor.

In total, Kerrigan said, three hose lines were required to extinguish the fire, which was brought under control in about an hour.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by members of the city Fire Marshal’s office.

Kerrigan said that no injuries were reported, and investigators are looking into whether the building had smoke detectors, and if so, whether they were working.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.