San Antonio firefighters battled a major fire at an apartment complex in the Medical Center area early Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out around 5 a.m. at the Oaks of Northgate apartments in the 8000 block of Oakdell Way, off Babcock Road near the Medical Center.
Nearly 30 fire department units responded as flames engulfed an apartment building. Crews contained the fire by 6:45 a.m. and reported no injuries.
Twenty families -- comprising 32 adults and four children -- were displaced after the fire broke out, said officials with the San Antonio chapter of the American Red Cross.
In all, about 24 units that were damaged.
Fire officials believe the fire started in a balcony on the third floor.
Miranda Cavazos said she was at home with her husband and her 1-year-old when a neighbor knocked on their door early in the morning, asking for a fire extinguisher because his balcony was on fire.
"They were trying to put it out and I looked out and I saw all the smoke rushing into my apartment, so I grabbed my 1-year-old baby out of his crib (and) ran outside," Cavazos said. "I got some shorts to cover his face because there was so much smoke."
By that point, San Antonio fire crews had arrived and begun to attack the massive fire from the outside.
"The fire was well-seeded in the attic, so we cleared the building (and) got everybody out," said San Antonio fire Battalion Chief Thomas McNulty. "We went defensive for a while, (then) knocked the main body of the fire down."
Cavazos said everything she owns was destroyed.
"It's not even the big stuff that I care about," Cavazos said. "I have to get a new crib. I have to get (my baby) all new clothes, all his diapers and his bottles and everything. It's so expensive for babies. We are trying to get everything ready for another baby because I'm six months pregnant. Now, we have to really start all over."
Cavazos said she found some comfort when she saw that firefighters had saved her love birds. She said they were a little wet and covered in soot, but appeared to be OK.
"I was standing there next to the fire truck, and we saw them walk down with the cage and I jumped up and told them, 'Those are my birds!'" Cavazos said.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, however, arson investigators will take another a look at it on Wednesday afternoon.
The San Antonio chapter of the American Red Cross is helping the displaced families and they will be moved to other units.
Anyone interested in helping the families can visit www.redcross.org/tx/san-antonio or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
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