WINTHROP -- A Green Street apartment building was damaged by fire Thursday evening.

Approximately nine people were inside the five-unit, two-story building when the fire started. Nobody was injured.

Tenants were allowed to return, but the building sustained several thousand dollars in damage, much of it on the outside, said Chief Dan Brooks of the Winthrop Fire Department.

The building, which is owned by Bart Murphy, is insured, Brooks said.

"Our belief is it was probably started by improperly discarded smoking materials," he said.

The blaze started around 5:30 p.m. on an outside stairway landing and had burned its way through a nearby wall, spreading into a void between the outside and inside walls, by the time firefighters arrived.

"If it hadn't been discovered so quickly by the tenant, (the fire) would have run the length of the wall in that void space and probably would have been a total loss," Brooks said.

The fire was under control within 15 minutes, but crews were on the scene for more than an hour making sure the fire had not spread.

About 35 firefighters from Winthrop, Monmouth and Manchester responded to the fire.

AUGUSTA

WEDNESDAY

At 8:27 p.m., mischief was reported at an Eastern Avenue business.

8:54 p.m., there was a disturbance on Eastern Avenue.

11:08 p.m., there was an accident on Riverside Drive.

THURSDAY

At 1:30 a.m., there was a disturbance on Water Street.

7:16 a.m., there was an accident on Cony Circle.

8:02 a.m., there was a burglary from a vehicle on Bridge Street.

8:22 a.m., there was a burglary from a vehicle on Cumberland Street.

8:33 a.m., there was a burglary from a vehicle on Northern Avenue.

9 a.m., an assault was reported on Glenridge Drive.

9:26 a.m., trespassing was reported on Winthrop Street.

9:55 a.m., there was a report of a recent burglary on Cumberland Street.

10:42 a.m., theft was reported at a Civic Center Drive business.

11:21 a.m., there was an accident at the intersection of Quimby and Pearl streets.

1:03 p.m., a 14-year-old was arrested and charged with theft following a report of shoplifting at a Western Avenue store.

1:14 p.m., theft was reported on Airport Road.

1:57 p.m., there was a burglary from a vehicle on Crosby Street Place.

2:18 p.m., shoplifting was reported at a Civic Center Drive store.

3:01 p.m., there was a report of a recent burglary on Cumberland Street.

3:41 p.m., Jessica Cutliffe, 28, of Augusta, was arrested on warrants on Spruce Street.

3:58 p.m., there was an accident on Western Avenue.

4:36 p.m., trespassing was reported at a Riverside Drive business.

5:46 p.m., there was an accident at the intersection of North Belfast Avenue and Weeks Mills Road.

6:52 p.m., at least one person was taken to the hospital following an accident at the intersection of Civic Center Drive and Bond Brook Road.

CHELSEA

WEDNESDAY

At 4:10 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a car fire following a crash on Windsor Road. The car did not catch fire and no injuries were reported.

CHINA

WEDNESDAY

At 2:09 p.m., there was a complaint of a protection order violation on Route 3.

THURSDAY

At 7:47 a.m., mischief was reported on Meadow Wood Drive.

10:47 a.m., mischief was reported on Wing Road.

GARDINER

WEDNESDAY

At 3:54 p.m., there was suspicious activity on Winter Street.

HALLOWELL

THURSDAY

At 2:33 a.m., a person was reported missing from Louden Lane.

11:02 a.m., there was a disturbance on Second Street.

7:03 p.m., there was a fire alarm at a Cable Road business.

MONMOUTH

WEDNESDAY

At 5:36 p.m., there was an accident on Route 202.

5:45 p.m., there was an accident on Main Street.

6:12 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Old Lewiston Road.

THURSDAY

At 6:06 a.m., there was an accident on Oak Hill Road.

VASSALBORO

WEDNESDAY

At 5:45 p.m., there was an accident on Oak Grove Road.

6:25 p.m., there was suspicious activity on Bog Road.

9:25 p.m., a person was reported missing from Nelson Road.

10:14 p.m., injury was reported following an accident on Riverside Drive.