LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - At least one firefighter was injured Sunday morning while battling a raging, 3-alarm fire that broke out in an apartment building as displaced residents returned home from the Merrimack Valley gas disaster.

A preliminary investigation determined the blaze on Diamond Street was unrelated to the gas leaks that forced thousands of residents from their homes, Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriarty said.

One firefighter was transported to an area hospital for undisclosed injuries.

A family told 7News that they were bringing rotten food to the dumpster when they saw smoke coming from the top of the building, prompting them to run inside and yell for everyone to get out.

“This is a good example of someone coming home, as we’ve asked, finding something wrong, and telling us right away,” Moriarty said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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