BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge firefighters were dispatched to an apartment fire on North Acadian Thruway West, early Wednesday morning, around 4:45 a.m.

They say the cause of the fire has been linked to the improper use of a space heater.

When first responders arrived on scene, they saw residents huddled outside as smoke and flames emerged from the building's attic.

Hoping to prevent the fire from spreading to the roof, firefighters called in an aerial truck for additional assistance. 

Nearby streets were closed as crews worked to extinguish the flames. After about an hour, the blaze was under control.

AVOID AREA: BRFD responding to fire, traffic blocked Acadian at Zion St.

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Officials say all tenants in the building were able to escape safely, thanks to working smoke detectors. Red Cross was called out to assist residents. 

The building, which sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, is considered a total loss.