Several families have been displaced after a fire broke out at a house on Ridge Street and Second Avenue in Newark Friday.

The fire started at around 10 p.m. Witnesses say the flames quickly spread to a neighboring home. In all, seven families made up of 16 people have been displaced.

Fire departments from several nearby towns responded to the scene.

The house where the flames started was in such disrepair before it burned that some living on the block had assumed it was empty. However, News 12 is told that a man was living there, and some who spoke with News 12 have heard that the fire started in the kitchen area. 

The Newark Fire Department has not yet released the official cause of the fire.

It's unclear if the man was living in the home legally or if the home had a certificate of occupancy.