Firefighters had to rescue two residents from the roof of an apartment building in downtown Auburn that burned late Friday night (July 23) and into early Saturday morning.

But in the end, all residents got out safely, according to the Valley Regional Fire Authority.

The VRFA responded to the two-alarm apartment fire at 115 East Main St. at about 10 p.m. after witnesses called 911 to report smoke and flames visible at the top of the building.

Firefighters eventually brought the conflagration under control.

The building for decades housed the now closed Nelson’s Jewelry store on its southwest corner, and is presently home to a number of other businesses.

The VRFA reports that the second floor and roof of the building sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage.

”We did receive a call from the property manager, who told us that all tenants are accounted for and were able to evacuate,” Auburn Police reported on Facebook.

The Red Cross set up a temporary shelter at Safeway for people who lost their homes.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

It is not lost on Auburn residents that just across East Main Street is the now empty lot where the Heritage Apartments Building stood for more than 90 years before succumbing to a fire that began in the building’s laundry room and destroyed the structure on Dec. 26, 2017. The owner of that lot has filed plans with the city of Auburn to replace that building.