An apartment building was destroyed in a fire early Monday. Photo by Daniel Kohler

CONEWANGO VALLEY — The American Red Cross was assisting at least four people displaced by a massive fire that destroyed a garage-turned-apartment building early Monday.

Firefighters from more than 10 departments in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties were called in to help douse the blaze at 5521 Route 62 in Conewango Valley first reported shortly after 3 a.m. Crews arrived to find fire shooting from the rear of the building, previously an auto garage but converted into apartments.

Steve Rexford, chief of the Ellington Fire Department, said multiple fire departments were necessary to keep up a steadly supply of water needed to fight the blaze. Assisting Ellington were firefighters from Conewango, Cherry Creek, Leon, South Dayton, Randolph, East Randolph, Kennedy, Gerry, Sinclairville, Falconer, Busti, Kiantone and the county FAST Team.

“We don’t have a municipal water source so we have to haul it in,” Rexford said. “We had tankers shuttling water to the scene.”

All told, about 75 firefighters responded to Route 62, which was closed to traffic for several hours. The fire was out about two hours after firefighters arrived, though first responders remained on scene throughout the morning dousing hot spots.

Photo by Daniel Kohler

Four people escaped the building, while other tenants who lived in the apartments reportedly were not home when the fire broke out.

No injuries were reported.

The property was heavily damaged in the fire, and an excavator was brought in for an emergency demolition.

The Chautauqua County Fire Investigation Team was looking into the cause of the fire.