The blaze that started at about 8:20 a.m. in a commercial building at 718 Webster St. was under control at 10:15 a.m.
The fire ran through the building, which encompasses about two-thirds of the block, affecting other addresses such as 714 Webster St., interim Fire Chief Melinda Drayton said.
The preliminary cause was a fire in a Dumpster outside that raced up between two buildings, Drayton said. Restaurants were on the first floor and residential units were on the second floor, she said.
Later she said that it doesn't appear there were any legal residences on the second floor. She wasn't sure whether any firefighters were injured. No civilians were injured.