Raleigh apartment fire starts in leasing office

A two-alarm fire at a Raleigh apartment complex late Saturday morning started in the leasing office, firefighters said.

A manager who lives at the property discovered the fire at 1933 North Hills Drive and called authorities, firefighters said. Witnesses said they saw lots of smoke from the building but no flames. Forty-four firefighters labored to bring the blaze under control within a half-hour.

Firefighters evacuated 16 apartments near the fire, but no one was injured.

Only the leasing office was damaged by the blaze, firefighters said. The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but it has been ruled accidental.