CENTRALIA — Residents of a South Cherry Street apartment building were displaced from their homes Friday after firefighters responding to a call of smoke in the building discovered fire in the walls between apartments.

Centralia City firefighters responded around 5 p.m. Friday to the 12 unit complex at 320 South Cherry Street and discovered an electrical fire that started in the exhaust fan of one unit had spread through the attic to an exhaust fan in another unit.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames, but as this was the third electrical fire at the complex since September, residents will not be allowed to return to their homes until an electrician certifies the wiring is no longer a danger or repairs are made to the electrical system.

No one was home in either of the units, but residents at home in other units were temporarily evacuated to a nearby church so they could get out of the rain. The Red Cross responded to find shelter for the displaced residents until they’re allowed to return home.