Pittsfield Police are praising an officer whose quick thinking helped save lives early Saturday morning.

Officer Michael Doyle was on patrol around 1 a.m., when he noticed smoke from a residence east of the downtown corridor. He drove to the area of Fenn and Third streets and tracked the smoke to the rear of 11 Third St. Part of the ground floor was engulfed in flames, police said.

Doyle alerted dispatch and all seven residents of the building, who had been sleeping. They got out safely and Pittsfield firefighters put out the fire.

The residents had to find a new place to stay, said investigators, but are OK.

The cause is under investigation.