SAN ANTONIO — Scrambling to stay alive, residents rushed out of a burning northwest side apartment complex early Monday morning.
People who lived in eight apartments are now without homes. Arson investigators are looking into what ignited the fire at the 'Residences at Medical.'
Frank Jimenez said he was with family at a bar across the street after midnight, when they noticed the flames. He said his nephew Matthew ran across the street first, and Jimenez didn't hesitate following right after him.
"When we kicked one of those doors open, we saw the roof completely falling down," he said. "Falling down. The fire just bringing it down. I said there's people in there man, there's people."
The two ran across Babcock Road after seeing the fire at the 'Residences at Medical'.
"We just ran up the stairs," he said. "And we just started pounding on doors."
Jimenez said he and his nephew didn't think twice.
"My nephew goes and kicks another door," he said. "I kick another door. More animals are coming out running. Some other people came out running."
It took more than 30 fire units to fight the flames. Amner Dobon was asleep inside an apartment with his family. The father woke everybody up to get out.
"When I woke up my family," he said. "The fire was big. I count it is only three girls. I need the other one. I go back and got the little one."
He ran back to get his 8-year-old daughter. He said thankfully all are safe. But, now the family is homeless. They're living in another unit for now, which was provided by the complex.
"I lived on the second floor," he said. "Everything is down. There is nothing over there."
San Antonio Fire said 24 people were impacted, half of them are children. No one was hurt in the fire. Jimenez is emotional after what he witnessed. He said he and his nephew are not heroes.
"We did I think what any normal human being what have done was to help people," he said. "It is what the world needs more of."
San Antonio Fire said they're still looking for the cause of the fire. Fire investigators do believe it started on the second floor. Contractors spent much of Monday boarding up what was left of the building.
The Red Cross is also helping the families.