Portsmouth Senior Housing Complex Evacuated After Fire [VIDEO]

An area of , a senior-housing complex on Middle Road in Portsmouth, was evacuated Friday morning after a heavy fire broke out in the rear of the complex. from Tiverton responded.

More than 150 residents were asked to leave their homes and walk to the community room at the opposite side of the housing complex, which is . The fire broke out in one of the vacant apartments currently under construction. 

"There was smoke in the building," said resident Phil Young, who left immediately to get his toy poodle, "Shadow," who does not reside at the complex.

"You have to leave," he said. "It's the safe thing to do." 

The blaze, reported at 9:22 a.m., is believed to have started in the kitchen area of the second-floor, vacant apartment in the rear of the building. 

" did encounter flames on the second floor in the fire room," said Portsmouth Fire Chief Jeffrey P. Lynch. "We had heavy smoke on the second and third floors...

"Once we contained the smoke and fire to the second floor, we sheltered the residents in the community room at the opposite side of the building." 

Firefighters escorted several senior residents, who required assistance with walking. No injuries were reported. 

The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes. The entire evacuation took about an hour, according to the fire chief. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. 

The majority of residents were allowed to re-enter their homes. Officials are still determining if a few residents may return. 

The blaze caused heavy fire damage to the vacant apartment, as well as heavy smoke damage to the second and third floors. 

Portsmouth police cordoned off a section of Middle Road during the response. 

Responding to Friday's fire were members of the Portsmouth, Middletown, Tiverton, Bristol and Navy Fire Departments. Members of the Bristol Fire Department manned the fire station during the response.