WESTPORT — Three firefighters suffered minor injuries battling a blaze that erupted early Monday in an Old Hill Road barn, which housed an apartment whose occupants were displaced by the fire.

The blaze, reported just after 6 a.m. Monday, ignited in one wing of the barn — described as a large U-shaped structure — in the report by Assistant Fire Chief Brian Meadows.

Three residents of the apartment safely left the building before firefighters arrived on the scene.

The first firefighters to arrive reported smoke and flames billowing from one section of the barn. Four engines, a truck and the shift commander were initially dispatched to the scene, according to the report.

Three hose lines were deployed to attack the blaze, successfully preventing flames from spreading to other parts of the building, Meadows said.

After the fire was extinguished, the rest of the structure was checked to ensure no hot spots remained that could re-ignite.

Fire crews from Fairfield and Norwalk provided mutual assistance both at Old Hill Road and fire headquarters. Westport police and Westport EMS personnel also were dispatched to the scene.

The three people displaced by the fire received assistance from the town’s Department of Human Services and the American Red Cross. 

The fire is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.