An electrical short circuit is responsible for starting a fire that displaced several apartments worth of residents and caused $400,000 worth of damage in the South End early Thursday morning, according to the Boston Fire Department. 

The Boston Fire Department responded to 34 Worcester Sq. at 4:30 a.m. for a two-alarm fire that started in the ceiling of a second floor apartment and quickly spread up to floors three, four and five. 

No one was injured and no residents required the Red Cross for a place to stay, said Boston Fire Department Spokesperson Stephen MacDonald. A neighboring brownstone, 36 Worcester Sq. was also evacuated due to smoke inhalation concerns, MacDonald said. 

Since outdoor temperatures at the time of the fire were in the single digits, the MBTA sent over a bus to hold the displaced residents while firefighters worked to put out the fire. MacDonald said that luckily, no residents had to be rescued from the top floors of the building.

"It was fortunate that everyone got outside safely, because using ladders in these temperatures is treacherous," he said. "Any water that touches the ladder instantly freezes." 

Firefighters were able to knock down the fire in just over an hour.