ANSONIA – The cause and origin of a Dec. 15 house fire on South Cliff Street remain under investigation by the fire marshal’s office.

The fire at 106 S. Cliff St. displaced between six and nine residents and sent two people to the hospital Monday, including a firefighter. Both of those hospitalized have since been released, according to fire officials.

Ansonia Fire Marshal Darrick Lundeen said the home sustained the worst fire damage in two apartments on the second and third floors, with smoke and water damage throughout the rest of the building.

Lundeen and his team spent hours at the on-scene investigation. He said his office is currently making follow-up calls to residents who were displaced by the fire.

The building contained four apartments, according to Lundeen. The exact number of residents displaced is still unknown, as not everyone was home at the time of the fire.

A GoFundMe was set up by Joanna Durkin asking for support following the fire. She, her three children, and one grandchild were among those displaced from the home, according to the post.

“We lost everything in a devastating fire,” the GoFundMe page description reads. “Holidays are around the corner, and we are now homeless and left with complete devastation.”

Durkin told The Valley Indy that she and her family had lived in a rear apartment in the building for 11 years. She said she and two of her daughters, a 12-year-old and a 20-year-old, were at home at the time of the fire, but that everyone made it out safe.

The fire was reported at about 5:30 p.m. It took nearly two hours for firefighters to get under control. The initial call reported people possibly trapped inside, although firefighters did not end up locating anyone in the home.

While battling the flames and searching for occupants, a group of firefighters temporarily became trapped inside the burning building. Crews also battled icy conditions and outside temperatures of just 19 degrees during the fire.

Firefighters said the house is not habitable. The Connecticut Red Cross is helping the residents with temporary housing.

During the fire, the Ansonia Library stayed open past its usual hours to function as a warm shelter for firefighters and displaced tenants. The fire department thanked library director Jen Shuart in a Facebook post.