— A fire that started because of an improperly discarded cigarette did heavy damage to several units of a Raleigh apartment complex early Saturday morning, Raleigh fire officials said.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, but about 25 people were displaced from University Commons, an apartment complex in the 1500 block of Graduate lane off Gorman Street.

Fire crews responded to the complex shortly after 4 a.m., and it took 50 firefighters nearly two hours to bring the fire under control. Twelve units were damaged.

Daimyn Niemi, a senior at North Carolina State University, said the fire was intense.

"I heard the apartment was on fire, walked outside, look up and there is just smoke funneling out of the roof of the building," he said. "I walked farther away and then huge flames start coming out of the roof. At one point there was an explosion."