ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Dozens of people were displaced after a two-alarm fire at an apartment complex in Arapahoe County on Sunday night.

The fire broke out about 8:45 p.m. at The Covington on Cherry Creek by Cortland apartments in the 2200 block of South Trenton Way, near Cherry Creek South Drive and East Iliff Avenue.

Some of the residents living in the complex smelled smoke, saw the flames and immediately started running through the halls to tell others to get out.

When firefighters arrived, they saw flames shooting from the third floor of a building and extending into the attic space.

The building was evacuated and residents were told to go to the complex’s clubhouse.

At one point, part of the building was starting to collapse, forcing crews to back off and fight the fire in a defensive mode.

It took three hours for fire crews from South Metro Fire Rescue and the Denver and Aurora fire departments to get the fire under control.

No injuries have been reported.

South Metro Fire said 12 of the building’s 24 units were damaged and 48 residents were displaced. The American Red Cross is assisting the evacuated residents.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.