UTICA — The fire on Mandeville Street in Utica Sunday evening has been ruled accidental, while the exact cause remains under investigation, according to the Utica Fire Department.

Fire Chief Scott Ingersoll said the three-story building was searched extensively both during the firefight and the following day, and there was no sign that anyone had been trapped inside during the blaze. Ingersoll said as many as 19 people have been staying in various parts of the building over the past several months, not all of whom were legal tenants.

The chief said property ownership and the tenants remain under investigation.

The alarm was raised at 6:12 p.m. Monday at 422 Mandeville St. More than a dozen people fled the home at the time of the fire, and three people had to be rescued off of bay window hip roofs on the front of the building. The chief said several people suffered minor injuries.

The fire is believed to have started in a first floor apartment, the chief said.

Fire crews launched an interior attack at the start of the fire, and found difficulty moving throughout the building due to clogged hallways and rooms, with hypodermic needles strewn about, the chief stated.

The fire was declared under control at about 10:25 p.m., the chief said. The home did not have working smoke detectors, he noted.