A fire at a Lakewood apartment complex is now under investigation. Neighbors tell News 12 New Jersey that they heard two explosions.

The fire was at the Lakewood Housing Authority apartments near the intersection of Sampson Avenue and East Fourth Street. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Neighbors tell News 12 they saw bright orange flames and heavy white smoke coming from at least one apartment. 

According to neighbors, the fire started around 2 p.m. Wednesday. They say they heard one explosion and shortly after they heard a second one that blew out windows and doors of at least one apartment.

Liceth Hernandez left her home Wednesday because there was a fire in her New Egypt neighborhood, only to find a fire in Lakewood where her mother lives.

"When I got here, there was still fire. You could see the flames coming out of the window and that’s when we got really scared and decided to take the kids,” Hernandez says.

One resident who didn't want to be identified said she's lived in this community for 15 years and has never experienced anything like this.

"I look out my kitchen window and I see flames coming out our friend's apartment from the kitchen and the living room,” the resident says. “I mean I never saw anything like this. I mean the windows - double-paned windows were blown out. The door was blown out.”

Neighbors say at least three people were possibly taken to the hospital. Their conditions were not immediately clear.

News 12 reached out to the Lakewood Housing Authority who said the cause of the fire is under investigation.