Norwich ― A basement fire at a Taftville duplex at 6-8 South A St. was quickly extinguished late Friday morning but displaced three families including five adults and four children, city fire officials and the local chapter of the American Red Cross said.

Fire Marshal Joe Crowley said the fire started in the basement of the unit at 8 South A St. and is under investigation. Firefighters from the Taftville Volunteer Fire Department quickly knocked down the fire. No one was injured, but one cat was rescued and was given oxygen at the scene. No information was available later Friday on the cat’s condition.

The Taftville, Occum and Yantic volunteer fire departments and the Norwich paid fire department responded, along with the Mohegan tribal unit and volunteers from the Southeastern Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Crowley said the families were displaced, because repairs are needed to the gas lines, and both units suffered smoke damage. He said the undamaged unit at 6 South A St. will be able to be lived in sooner.

The Red Cross aided the three families to meet their immediate needs. The Red Cross also provided an envelope containing information to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup, notification of important contacts and dealing with damaged items, Red Cross officials said in a news release.

The Red Cross is providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant; shaving supplies and other items a resident might need when suddenly displaced from their home by a fire, the Red Cross said. The families will be connected with Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan.