LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) — The American Red Cross is assisting nine families, 23 people total, after a fire at a Lake Wales apartment complex, the organization said Monday.

The fire occurred Saturday morning just after 2:30 a.m. at the Quails Bluff Apartments. Crews battled the fire until around 8 a.m. Nobody was injured.

“Me and my brother were in the back and we smelled something, thought somebody was barbecuing. We came around and we came outside and saw the smoke was really thick,” said Nicote Graham who lives in a nearby apartment.

Graham said he dropped his phone and ran to help, not even stopping to put on shoes before knocking on doors in the building that was on fire.

“It was kind of like second nature when you see something, like if you see somebody reaching for something on a shelf, you go help them like it’s kind of second nature. You see people, it’s a fire. Anything could happen,” he said.

According to an official with Lake Wales Fire Rescue, crews evacuated six units with people inside.

Two units appeared to have people living in them, but they were not home.

“It looks like someone took a bite out of the roof. Terrible, man,” said Graham.

Lawrence Hodge was about to clock out for work and head home when he got a call from his mother who was in the apartment with his young children.

She told him there was a fire.

“It was like, whoa. It was very, very scary,” said Hodge.

Hodge said his unit sustained smoke and water damage.

He was able to remove some clothes and medication for his child but cannot return for good yet.

“I can rebuild myself but for the kids, there’s some things I need to get out of there,” said Hodge.

While he has received help from several organizations, including the American Red Cross, Hodge said Quails Bluff Apartments has not provided any help or guidance.

News Channel 8 was asked to leave the property Monday. When a reporter tried calling a representative from the apartment complex, they hung up the phone.