Firefighters Quickly Douse Rancho Mirage Blaze

A quick response Sunday morning by 45 firefighters contained a fire to the carport of an apartment in a Rancho Mirage complex within nine minutes, a Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman said.

The fire was reported at 1:28 a.m. in the 34300 block of Denise Way, said fire department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann.

"The first on-scene engine company reported heavy smoke and fire visible from a multi-story condo-style apartment building with evacuations in progress," Hagemann said.

They initially called for a second-alarm response, but cancelled it after learning the flames were in a carport and quickly dousing the fire, she said. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire has not been determined.