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At 5:32 AM this morning, the Duluth Fire Department responded to a fire in an apartment at 1513 E 3rd St. Upon arrival, fire companies found fire glowing through a large first floor window of a two story brick building. Floor to ceiling flames were encountered in the livingroom. Firefighters were able to immediately extinguish the fire and prevented it from extending out of that room.

Two of the four women who live in this apartment were home but were not injured. One of the women said she was in an uptairs bedroom and awoken by smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. She noticed a glow downstairs and exited through a back door to an exterior stairway. She tried to alert the woman in the first floor bedroom by knocking on an exterior door to that room but was unsuccessful. She retreived her keys to unlock this door and shook her friend to wake her. During this time she also reported the fire.

Smoke and soot filled the apartment except for rooms with doors closed. Adjoining apartments were unaffected. The initial damage estimate to the building and contents is $50,000.

The cause of the fire appears to be a laptop computer that malfunctioned or overheated. It was on the couch, plugged into an electrical outlet and may have been left on.

The Duluth Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating.