FITCHBURG, Wis. -- A Madison-area teen could face a $169 fine for causing a Fitchburg apartment fire this weekend that caused $3.3 million in damages and displaced 50 residents.

Fitchburg fire Lt. Rob Rittenhouse said that the 14-year-old tenant acknowledged placing a small charcoal grill in the storage shed of a second-story apartment on Friday. The boy apparently hadn't put the coals out first, which sparked a fire that destroyed 15 of the building's 26 units.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Authorities will decide on Monday whether to cite the teen for mishandling burning materials. The citation carries a $169 fine.

Rittenhouse said that state building codes prohibit the use of charcoal and propane grills on second-story balconies or higher.

Fire investigators are also looking into possible violations by the property owner, which could mean a $300 ticket for building code violations o a $200 fine for fire prevention code violations.

Meanwhile, residents of the Fitchburg Springs apartment complex along Leopold Way spent much of Sunday trying to salvage what they can from their homes.

Kelly Swope and her mother, Patty, are looking through what's left of their second-floor apartment. The fire ripped through their home.

"(We) lost everything in fire. This is first time we've been able to get in so the fire chief OK'd it today and as you can see, it's destroyed," she said. "But the main thing is we all got out OK and my pets got out."

Investigators said that damage could have been much worse. They are crediting the building's fire stops and sprinkler system for preventing the fire from being even more costly. They said that this is a lesson for everyone.

"All the apartment complexes, they work with their residents to say if you're going to grill, make sure that you're grilling at a safe distance away from the building and then make sure that the grill stays out, whether it's overnight or the next day," said Randy Pickering, Fitchburg's fire chief.

Fire officials said that the property owner is helping about 25 residents relocate to other units in the apartment complex.

The Fitchburg Fire Department officials said that the majority of affected residents don't have renter's insurance.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.