Mysterious Fire Ignites in Empty Third-Floor Apartment on Taaffe Place: [VIDEO]

Twelve fire trucks were called to the scene after a fire ignited this morning on the third floor of a three-story frame house at 121 Taaffe Place between Park and Myrtle avenues.

One of the building’s tenants called 9-1-1 at around 10:36 a.m. Thursday after smelling smoke coming from the empty third-floor apartment.

Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly afterward and the fire was brought under control by 11 a.m.

Although extinguished quickly, the fire caused extensive damage to the walls and ceilings of the second and part of the third floor, reported a fire inspector on the scene.

All of the building’s occupants fled the townhome without injury. 

“No one was living there, but someone was about to move in there soon,” said one of the building’s tenants who did not want to give her name.  She moved about the group of firemen, worried, inquiring about the damage to the third floor.

A fire inspector on the scene was reported saying that because of how the fire spread and the extent of the damage—close to the windows facing the street— the fire could have been caused by an electrical shortage or a lit cigarette.

However, fire officials said the exact cause of the blaze is unknown and is under investigation by the fire chief.

“Ma’am, no one’s going to be moving in there anytime soon,” said one of the inspectors to the worried tenant. “After this, it's going to need a lot of work. We’ll be covering those windows and boarding it up.”