NILES — None were injured in an apartment fire downtown Friday afternoon, according to officials with the Niles Fire Department.

Emergency crews responded to reports of smoke and flames in a second-floor apartment at 1:56 p.m. Friday in the 200 block of E. Main Street in downtown Niles. Though the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, firefighters said the fire started in the floor of the apartment. The apartment is located on the back side of the building that houses Bella’s Gifts and Memories.

According to Niles Fire Department Captain Don Wise, no one was injured in the fire and police officers were able to extract three dogs trapped inside the home without incident.

“There is minimal fire damage, but there is smoke damage in the apartment,” Wise said. “It’s a good thing somebody caught this during the daytime because if they went to bed at night and that thing was a hidden fire, it could have been a lot worse.”

Tanya Dougan-Kener, an employee of Jim’s Smoking Café, the restaurant located next door to the apartment, first saw smoke and flames coming from the apartment. She said she alerted the restaurant owner, Jim Morris, to the incident, who then took used a fire extinguisher under the door of the residence to quell the flames.

“I went out back to have a cigarette,” Dougan-Kener said. “I was looking up because the dogs [that live in the residence] come to the window. I saw smoke coming up the door frame. Jim told me to grab the fire extinguisher from the restaurant. I took it out of the closet, ran it to him, and he got most of it out, thank God. The cops then came in and got the dogs out.”

Wise said efforts by Morris helped to contain the fire until emergency crews could arrive.

“It’s a good thing James found it and used the extinguisher,” Wise said. “That’s why it is important that every home should have an extinguisher. It can make the difference between a small fire or blossoming into a big fire.”

George Nelson, the resident of the apartment, was not home at the time of the fire. He said he was grateful to Morris, Dougan-Kener and emergency crews for responding quickly and saving the lives of his dogs.

“Luckily [Dougan-Kener] was here,” he said.

Tina Newman, owner of Bella’s Gifts and Memories, said the shop sustained smoke and water damage. Another apartment on the front half of the building sustained smoke damage, as did ReNew Beauty & Body nextdoor.

The investigation into the fire is currently ongoing. Niles Township Fire and Nile Police assisted on the scene.