CLEVELAND, Ohio — Firefighters used ladders to rescue two people from windows during a fire late Monday night at a four-story apartment building on the city’s West Side

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Missig said it started in an apartment on the second floor. The flames managed to get in-between the walls and worked their way up to the roof.

By the time firefighters arrived at about 11:30 p.m., smoke was showing from the roof and was beginning to transition into flames, Missig said.

While most residents were able to escape on their own, two on second floor, one on the south side and another on the north, went to their windows because too much smoke was in the hallway.

One of those rescued, a 31-year-old man who declined to give his name, said he was watching TV when he heard fire alarms go off and smelled smoke.

“I was going to jump out of the window till the firemen brought a ladder to the window,” he said.

No one was injured, but Missig said the building, which has 24 units, was heavily damaged. The Red Cross was called to the scene to assist displaced residents.

Temperatures were hovering around 10 degrees at the time of the fire, but Missig said the cold did not cause any problems with the equipment.

“We were lucky today. The water flowed well,” he said.