Four Jefferson County law enforcement officers were in the right place at the right time after evacuating an apartment building that caught fire in Wintersville early Saturday morning.

Fire Chief Rob Herrington said his firefighters got the call 1:45 a.m. about a fire at the Ridgewood Apartments on Two Ridge Road. Wintersville police officers Chris Wright and Jesse Kosegi along with sheriff's deputies Jeff Sterling and Gary Slates were the first to notice the smoke while responding to a domestic incident nearby, he said.

"Fire was coming out of the roof of the building, and they were able to go into the building and wake everybody up and get everybody out," said Herrington. "There was no smoke, or odor or anything in any of the apartments. It was all up in the attic."

They evacuated the building, leading at least a dozen people and a few pets to safety, Herrington said. Some viewers are calling the deputies and officers involved heroes. It's a situation that could have been much worse.

"We're very, very fortunate that the officers were able to get in there and get everybody out because it could have been a multiple fatality," said Herrington.

One side of the building suffered heavy damage, and fire crews managed to save the other apartments, he said.

"We believe it's probably going to be an electrical cause or an electrical origin," said Herrington. "They did report that the lights were out in the hallway earlier in the evening that was unusual. They were turned on, but they weren't working."

The American Red Cross set the families with hotel rooms and food, Herrington said. Many people said they're just thankful for their brave act to save lives.

An investigator from the state fire marshal's office will take a look at the apartment building Monday.