BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP)  A fire in an apartment house in Maine has claimed one life and left two dozen people homeless.

Fire officials said they recovered the body on the first floor where they believe the blaze started Monday morning in Biddeford. The medical examiner is being asked to identify the victim.

It took firefighters about five hours to bring the blaze under control.

The Red Cross is assisting people who were left homeless by the fire.

The Journal Tribune reports that the building’s entire interior was gutted and residents of adjacent apartments were evacuated as a precaution because of smoke and water damage and uncertainty about the building’s electrical system.