A fire ripped through the Regency Club Apartments in Jackson Township Monday, gutting three housing units and damaging several more.

Neighbors alerted other apartment residents to the four-alarm fire and everyone made it out safely. Residents who live on the first floor, which was initially isolated from the flames, had smoke detectors, but they did not go off because there was no smoke in the apartments.

It took about an hour for the fire to be brought under control. Jackson Township?s paid firefighters had Columbus Day off, leaving volunteers to respond. Though officials say the volunteers arrived in 12 minutes, tenant Eric Devine says it felt much longer.

"I don't mean to knock them,? Devine says. ?My wife's whole family is firefighters in New York, but this volunteer system is no good. It's no good."