Bottrop (dpa / lnw) – On Tuesday night, the fire brigade in Bottrop extinguished an apartment fire in an apartment building. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames coming out of a first-floor window, firefighters said. Three people could have escaped. They had been warned by smoke detectors. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to neighboring homes. Because the residents of the fire apartment may have inhaled smoke gases, they were taken to hospitals. The apartment could not be used until further notice, the fire department said. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.