20 People Without Homes After Dallas Fire

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The American Red Cross is helping 20 people find a place to stay after a two-alarm fire forced them from their homes late Thursday night. It happened at around 11:00 p.m. at the Creekbend Condominiums, located along Abrams Road near the LBJ Freeway.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find flames shooting through the roof of the two-story building. A total of eight units were destroyed in the fire, leaving the 20 residents without a place to live. But, thankfully, everyone was able to get out quickly and nobody was injured.

"I woke up and I smelled smoke, so I went to the window to look out and everything was just pitch black," said condo resident Curly Owens. "So, I just grabbed something to put it on, grabbed by purse and ran outside."

"I didn't know, because I was sleeping, and then there was smoke," said resident Jackson Tran. "I wake up, open the door, saw there was a fire, then I ran back inside and wake my wife up, and then I run away."

The building is located at the corner of the complex, just feet away from another building. It is amazing that the flames did not spread and cause more damage, officials said. Firefighters have not determined a cause for the fire, but neighbors believe that it might have started with someone cooking or smoking on their balcony.

Several of the displaced residents actually own their condos -- they do not rent. They will be talking with insurance companies about what steps to take next in regards to both their homes and their personal belongings which were lost.

The massive damage became more apparent when the sun came up on Friday morning, especially for the Azeem family. They moved to the condominium to start over, and will now have to do so once again. "Last year was a big deal. My wife had major surgery," said Alex Azeem. "Right after, a month later, I had surgery for my colon cancer, and lost my job."

Azeem and his family do not have any renters insurance. They have been in touch with the American Red Cross because they could not find necessary medicine in the charred rubble. Azeem added that his family's faith is not shaken, and that is helping them stay strong.