Updated: Twelve Displaced from Catherine Street Fire

Twelve people have been displaced after a fire at a multi-unit home on Catherine Street in Newport Friday morning.

Members of the Newport Fire Department were dispatched at around 11:09 a.m. as the fire spread through the building. The stubborn blaze became a three alarm fire as crews worked to get control, cutting holes in the roof to vent.

Firefighters were able to get the upper hand after about an hour, though the building continued to smolder at around 1:30 p.m.

Newport Police Lt. William Fitzgerald said that a dozen people have been displaced and the American Red Cross is offering assistance.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Fitzgerald said.

The 7,466 square-foot, three-story multi-family house was built in 1865, according to city records.

Photo Courtesy: Chris Brown (Twitter: @ProvJake)