An abandoned sofa at the rear of a Pembroke Street apartment building caught fire and caused havoc for residents Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out around 4:10 a.m. behind 864 Pembroke St., home to about 80 people, said Victoria Fire Battalion Chief Dave Bicknell.
"The heat and flames from the sofa rapidly spread to cladding and framing on the exterior of the wood framed apartment building," he said. "Victoria Fire Department crews were able to knock the bulk of the fire down quickly but remained at the scene to check extensively for any fire spread into the structure of the building."
There were no reported injuries from the fire, which caused an estimated $80,000 worth of smoke and heat damage to the side of the building up to the third floor.
The cause of the sofa fire is still under investigation, Bicknell said.