by The cause of a fire that forced five people in North Sydney from their homes remains under investigation.
The blaze at 18 Peppett Street was reported shortly after midnight yesterday morning.
The building has two apartments on the ground floor while the top floor was used as a storage area.
North Sydney Fire Chief Lloyd MacIntosh says there was a lot of smoke damage in the building.
Crews from the North Sydney and Sydney Mines volunteer fire departments were on the scene until 3:30 in the morning.