An apartment building fire in downtown Lewiston left 11 families homeless Tuesday night, according to the American Red Cross of Maine, which was called in to find temporary shelter for the victims.

The fire broke out around 7:20 p.m. in a four-story, wood-frame apartment building at 101 Birch St., according to the Lewiston Fire Department.

Firefighters were still battling the blaze late Tuesday night.

John Lamb, spokesman for the American Red Cross of Maine, said his agency had received no reports of injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s Office. McCausland said the state has sent a team of investigators to the city to help Lewiston officials try to determine the cause of the blaze.

A string of fires wreaked havoc in Lewiston last year, when arsonists set three fires that destroyed nine buildings and displaced 200 downtown residents. Two boys and two adults were arrested, and their cases are in various stages in the judicial system.

A Lewiston city map shows that the scene of Tuesday night’s fire is nearly in the center of the neighborhood where the 2013 arson fires destroyed apartment buildings on Pierce, Bartlett, Bates, Pine and Horton streets.

The apartment building is located a short distance from the city’s multipurpose arena – the Androscoggin Bank Colisee at 190 Birch St. Lewiston fire crews reported that they encountered “heavy fire” showing from the building on their arrival.

The Lewiston department said fire departments from several communities provided mutual aid.

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