Firefighters in Jersey City, N.J., battled a 4-alarm fire that engulfed two apartment homes early Thursday.
Officials said they believe 18 people, including children, lived in the homes that were destroyed by the fire. They all got out OK. The Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the blaze.
One resident told NBC 4 New York the smoke was so thick it made him choke. Another neighbor said she'd never seen flames that intense before.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.