A dozen occupants at a Crane Street home had to find shelter elsewhere Monday after a morning fire damaged the structure and sent nine of them to the hospital with what firefighters called minor injuries.

The Rome-Floyd Fire Department responded to the blaze at 1405 Crane St. According to Battalion Chief Phil Taylor, nine residents were taken to Floyd Medical Center.

The residents had mainly minor injuries, according to Fire Marshal Dean Oswalt. One person had singe marks on the head, another had lacerations to a hand from breaking a window to escape and several others suffered from smoke inhalation.

Injured residents Penny Frost and Todd Gillams were treated and released from the hospital, according to an FMC spokesman. The names and conditions of the other residents were unavailable late Monday.

The house received extensive damage, according to Oswalt. There were approximately 12 occupants in the house at the time of the fire.

Oswalt said the fire was believed to have started in the kitchen. Although residents were using a kitchen stove to heat the house, a cause had not been determined by late Monday.

Michael Herring said he awoke in the smoke-filled house and heard his housemates shouting to get the kids out of the house.

“We started climbing out one window and the others climbed out the other window,” said Herring. “You could hardly even see the walls.”

Local volunteers from the American Red Cross met with the residents to advise them of assistance and provide immediate necessities and emotional counseling.

Jeffrey Putnam, executive director of the Coosa Valley chapter of the Red Cross, said in a press re-

lease that the residents were provided with replacement clothing, food and shelter at a local hotel.

“We’re deeply saddened for those affected and injured” said Putnam.