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A fire at a downtown apartment in Great Falls has sent two people to the hospital and displaced up to 15 residents.

Authorities responded to a call shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Saturday at 612 2nd Avenue South and quickly extinguished the flames.

Some of the residents initially resisted evacuating the building, but eventually officials were able to clear all residents from the facility.

The on-scene fire commander told KRTV that two people were transported to the hospital with unspecified injuries.

Authorities were coordinating with the American Red Cross and the Great Falls Rescue Mission to find accommodations for the displaced residents.

One police officer stated that a female passerby initially spotted the flames and called 911, and then helped evacuate some of the residents.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.