Six people were displaced after their Kent apartment building caught fire at about 9 a.m. Thursday in the 10600 block of Southeast 264th Street.

When Puget Sound RFA firefighters arrived, they found the first floor of the two-story apartment building on the East Hill engulfed in flames, according to a Puget Sound Fire news release. They quickly attacked the fire while trying to determine whether everyone had escaped. A language barrier slowed the process, but eventually firefighters confirmed – after two searches – that no one was inside any of the affected apartments.

Although four apartments were damaged by the fire, a “fire wall” built to separate the four units from other apartments kept the fire from spreading even further. This fire-resistant wall typically extends all the way into the attic space and to the peak of the roof, keeping fire from traveling horizontally and causing more damage.

Red Cross and the apartment complex’s management assisted the displaced residents. The complex is part of the King County Housing Authority subsidized properties.

The cause is undetermined due to several possible ignition sources in the area where the fire started, according to a fire investigator. The fire does appear to be accidental.