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Threatened by a fire in a nearby building, fifteen people were forced from their apartments in an early morning blaze on Telegraph Avenue Thursday.  

A neighbor reported the fire at 3:42 a.m. The fire was under control in just under an hour, at 4:30 a.m., said Deputy Fire Chief Debra Pryor. 

The blaze started at the south end of the Karim Cycle building on the 2800 block of Telegraph Avenue, spread to the attic of the business and moved toward the neighboring building.  

Firefighters say they think they know the origin of the blaze. 

“At this time we believe that fire was caused by a discarded object, such as a cigarette,” Pryor said. 

Five fire engines, two fire trucks, two ambulances, and one piece of support equipment were dispatched to the scene of the two- alarm fire that caused about $80,000 in damage to Kiram Cycle and the adjacent buildings, Pryor said.  

The 15 people who had to be evacuated live in a nearby four-plex which is south of Karim Cycle. “The fire was threatening their building,” Pryor said. 

The bike shop owner, Adlai Karim, at first did not believe that a cigarette started the fire. 

“At first I assumed it was arson, but it could have just been a cigarette thrown in the corner,” said Karim, while cleaning up the pile of burned and blackened wood and insulation on the street outside his shop. 

“I’m contemplating having a fire sale,” he said. 

The business was open on Thursday even through the store had suffered fire damage.