Three people escaped a fire at a west-side Owen Sound apartment, but a cat died in the blaze on Wednesday evening.

Just before 11 p.m., Owen Sound police attended the blaze at the request of the Owen Sound Fire Department. The fire in the third-floor apartment was caused by a candle that had been knocked over in the bathroom, which lit a towel on fire and quickly spread to the contents of the bathroom., police said in a news release. The occupants of the apartment attempted to put out the flames but were unsuccessful.

Tenants of the building assisted one another in the evacuation until emergency services personnel arrived. City firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and contain the damage to the bathroom and two bedrooms of the unit. Firefighters were able to rescue two cats, but a third one was found dead, the release said.

Paramedics on scene medically cleared the three occupants of the apartment and Victim Services attended to assist the mother and her two young children, while a family member arrived to provide transportation and shelter, the release said.

The cost of the damage to the apartment from the fire is estimated to be several thousand dollars.