An apartment fire Tuesday in Union City displaced at least 16 families, officials said.

Authorities said the fire was reported Tuesday morning at an apartment building on JFK Boulevard near 10th Street.

North Hudson Regional Deputy Fire Chief Michael Cranwell told News 12 New Jersey that at least 16 families were displaced. Cranwell did not have a specific number of people who were forced out of their homes, but he said most of the fire occurred on the first floor.  

News 12 New Jersey was told that the building, which is four stories high, contains at least eight apartment units.

Cranwell said when firefighters arrived, the first floor was engulfed and some inside were still evacuating. He said some of the occupants were trapped on the back fire escape, but they were eventually able to escape to safety.

“It traveled vertically through this pipe, chase up to the third floor and was going beyond it. We were able to get a hose line into each apartment on each level in rapid succession, and we were able to cut the fire off before it really extended to those upper floors,” Cranwell said.

The deputy fire chief said smoke alarms were working when they arrived.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.