NEW HAVEN (AP) — A woman was killed and about 20 people were left homeless when fire ripped through a multifamily dwelling in New Haven early Monday, authorities said.

The fire broke out at around 1:30 a.m. at a building on Saltonstall Avenue. Flames and smoke were billowing from the third floor when firefighters arrived, TV station WFSB reported.

Firefighters used a ladder to rescue four people from the building's upper floors. One, a woman, was pronounced dead. Two of the other victims were hospitalized, the station said, while the third refused treatment.

New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said he and his department were devastated by the woman's death. “Every situation is unique and we are in the life-saving business, not the life-losing business,” Alston said. “So we are definitely working with firefighters and the family right now.”

The fire displaced close to 20 people from three families, authorities said. The cause is under investigation.