Several families were displaced and 10 units were damaged during an early Sunday morning fire at an apartment complex on Rhett Street in downtown Greenville, officials said.  The fire was reported around 12:30 a.m. at 400 Rhett, an apartment complex named for its location. Battalion Chief Mike Marlow of the Greenville Fire Department said the fire started in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment and that several units on the first and second floors also sustained water damage.

“Their sprinkler system really saved them,” Marlow said. “The sprinkler system kept the fire contained to that one upstairs unit and kept it from spreading to others.”  Marlow said Sunday afternoon that the fire remained under investigation and that he’s not sure what caused it to start in the kitchen.   “The man who lived in the unit told us he was asleep and that he was awakened by an alarm,” Marlow said.

Heather Lockhart, a regional manager for 400 Rhett, said there was “an issue with an appliance” and that the appliance started emitting smoke.  She said a remediation company was working at the apartment complex Sunday to assess and repair the damage.

“We’ve very thankful everyone is safe,” she said. “We’re doing our best to help them and to get through this. Thankfully, some of the people have been able to return to their homes.”

No one was injured in the fire.

At least 22 firefighters responded to the blaze and remained at the scene for several hours, Marlow said.

The American Red Cross said in a prepared statement Sunday that it is responding to help residents who were affected by the fire.

“American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers are assisting multiple families whose homes located on Rhett Street, were damaged by a fire early this morning,” the statement read. “The Greenville City Fire Department responded to the blaze. The Red Cross is helping two adults by providing financial assistance for food, clothing, lodging and other essentials, and comfort kits containing personal hygiene items.”

According to its website, 400 Rhett is a collection of one- and two-bedroom apartments that feature gourmet kitchens, granite counters, plank flooring and nine-foot ceilings. The apartment with the smallest floor plan, 588 square feet, has a monthly rent that starts at $1,125. The larger units, which have private balconies, have monthly rental prices that begin at $1,620.