Twenty-one people were evacuated from a three-story North Side apartment building that was destroyed this morning by fire.

The yellow-brick building, owned by Susan and Frank Kurta of Shaler, caught fire about 3:30 a.m. and the back section of the U-shaped building on Pressley Street was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, District 1 Chief William Martin said.

No residents or firefighters were injured in the fire despite icy conditions. The Red Cross found shelter for the 10 adults and 11 children in city hotels, Chief Martin said.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Firefighters were expected to be at the site throughout the day, possibly into evening, due to expectations that smoldering debris would reignite, Chief Martin said.

The apartment building abuts the Priory, a historic building that serves as an inn, and guests had to be evacuated from 11 of the 25 units. The Priory sustained water damage in the basement and slight smoke damage in rooms closest to the apartment building, Chief Martin said, noting that the inn likely will be closed for a day or two.

Mrs. Kurta said her apartment building appeared to be a complete loss.

"I'm shocked," she said. "I got a call from our roofer this morning who said the building was on fire. When we got here at 9 a.m. there were still flames and the fire truck was still working on it."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.