HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Multiple people are searching for a place to stay after a late-night fire tore through the homes of two families on Newton Street in Holyoke.

The flames broke out just before midnight Monday, starting in a vacant building before spreading next door.

John Ortiz, who lives on Newton Street, said he was woken up by somebody knocking on doors.

“We were woken up by somebody knocking on the doors and one of our relatives’ home was on fire,” Ortiz said.

Holyoke Fire Captain David Rex said the fire started at 115 Newton St., a vacant, abandoned apartment, and quickly spread to 117 and 121 Newton St. Ortiz’s relatives lived in one of those apartments.

Captain Rex said the homes share a connected attic space, which allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

“Unfortunately, those four addresses share a common attic. So once the fire got into the cockloft, it was off to the races for us,” Rex said.

Crews were not able to get the fire under control until around 2 a.m. and stayed on scene until 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Captain Rex said both homes will be uninhabitable for quite some time. Eight to ten people are now displaced. The Red Cross is helping those families find a temporary place to stay.

One firefighter was treated for minor injuries and has already been released.

“Working smoke detectors helped save lives. Everybody was out of the building when we got there,” Rex said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.