Authorities say a fire destroyed a home in Jersey City and spread to two others, displacing nearly two dozen people in the bitter temperatures.

The fire started around 4:50 a.m. in a home on Neptune Avenue and involved three multi-family homes in total.

Police arrived at the scene, but couldn't enter the burning home due to heavy smoke. The flames soon spread to some nearby residences, but all the fires were brought under control a short time later.

 

According to authorities, the fire apparently started in the first home's basement.

Kayla O'Connor and her dog, Bella, were among the people and dogs displaced by the fire.

"My mom said she heard a loud bang coming from the outside of the house next-door, and she came running out and woke me up," says O’Connor. “Then, we woke my grandmother up and she grabbed the dog and we grabbed whatever we could. It wasn't much, but we ran outside and I called 911 as I'm running down the stairs, and I look to the side of the house, and it was just in flames."

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries to report, although two police officers and a firefighter suffered what we believe are minor injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The Red Cross says five families totaling 23 people, as well as four dogs, have been displaced.