BLOOMINGTON - An early Sunday fire on East Market Street was caused by a tenant leaving an unattended pan of grease on a stove, a Bloomington fire official said Monday.

The 1:10 a.m. fire at 812 E. Market St. displaced six people. The American Red Cross of the Heartland provided food, shelter and clothing.

There were no serious injuries. There was no damage estimate, said Deputy Fire Chief Les Siron.

The fire originated in the kitchen in the apartment unit of Rob Kelley, 24.

Nelson Barth, 42, who lives in another apartment, smelled smoke and went with his roommate, Spencer Henderson, 38, to Kelley's door, Barth said. They pounded on the door, and after receiving no response, Barth kicked the door in.

"You couldn't see a foot in front of you," said Henderson. "It was awful."

Barth dragged Kelley, who was not fully conscious, outside, Henderson said. Barth said Kelley regained consciousness during the rescue and began calling for his 8-week-old pit bull, Eve, who was in a kennel in the apartment.

Henderson said Barth thought Eve was a person and went back into Kelley's apartment and brought Eve outside just moments before flames emerged from the apartment's doorway.

"Another couple of minutes and he (Kelley) would have been cooked," said Barth.

Kelley is staying at the Baymont Inn, along with. Kelley's sister, Theresa Gaston, 27, and her husband, Daniel Gaston, 24, who also lived in the apartment but were not there at the time of the fire.

Henderson and Barth are staying for three days at the same hotel. Their apartment is uninhabitable because of smoke damage, Henderson said.

None of the displaced residents has renter's insurance, and they are all receiving assistance from the Red Cross of the Heartland.

Scott Vogel, director of public support of the American Red Cross of the Heartland, said the Red Cross is providing food, shelter and clothing to six people. A sixth displaced person could not be identified.

Vaughn said the Bloomington Fire Department responded to the call at 1:10 a.m. with four fire engines and an ambulance. The scene was cleared at 2:24 a.m., but investigative units remained on the scene until 5:30 a.m. Vaughn said he did not know how long the fire took to extinguish. Bloomington police and the Normal Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The house has three apartments. At 4 p.m. Sunday most of the house's windows were boarded up, as well as the door to Kelley's apartment. The smell of smoke remained in the air.

Vaughn said he did not know the number of units that were left uninhabitable and was unable to confirm Henderson's and Barth's accounts of the rescue. Kelley confirmed his rescue by Barth.