RUTLAND - A fire that displaced 50 residents of a Maple Street condominium complex was caused by a man smoking, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Rutland Fire Chief Seth Knipe said Tuesday.

The fire on Friday at Countryside Estates on Maple Street started in a second-floor condominium and seriously injured the sole resident of the condo unit where it started. He jumped from his balcony during the fire, officials said.

The blaze originated in the living room at the couch, which was surrounded by combustible materials, the fire marshal said. The man smoked small cigars, which are not required to be "fire standard compliant" as cigarettes sold in Massachusetts are. Cigarettes must be designed to resist ignition when not being actively smoked.

Because the 24-unit building was built before 1975 and the establishment of the state building code, it was not required to have fire sprinklers.

“This incident underscores how important sprinklers are at containing a fire to a single room or apartment,” Mr. Ostroskey said. He said a building of that style built today would be required to have fire sprinklers.

The building was equipped with a working fire alarm system and emergency door closures in the hallways, which helped many residents escape safely. The Rutland Fire Department used ladders to rescue eight residents from second- and third-floor balconies.