More than 40 people are now looking for a place to stay after a fire tore through the Rose Palacio Real Apartments in Brownsville on Sunday.

A mother of four is still trying to process what happened to her apartment.

"I still can't believe that in a second you have nothing left, everything is gone. My baby is two weeks old, and you gather things for your newborn and now there's nothing left and nobody has anything," Sylvia Sandoval said.

Sandoval is a mother of four and had moved into the complex in September. Now her home and everything she owns is gone.

She saw the fire after coming back to pick up a bottle for her newborn on her way to church.

"We decided to return because it was something for the baby, and when we returned, the flames were already behind our apartment. I managed to get out my children's passports and documents, and in a matter of minutes, everything was engulfed in flames," Sandoval said.

She and her family saw how the flames tore down building number four. In total, the fire destroyed the homes of 26 other families.

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Brownsville firefighters say the fire broke out around 11 a.m. They had to act quickly to stop it from spreading.

A man who lived in the apartment complex is still in the hospital with burns on his hands and feet. One Brownsville firefighter suffered a "medical emergency," and two police officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation but are expected to be okay.

Neighbors like Damian Resendez waited for hours before they were cleared by authorities to make their way back inside.

"Inside it will be better, if we were all together inside, but you know, things happen," Resendez said.

He and his family spent the night in the dark after the electric company shut off services in the complex.

The families affected are getting help from the American Red Cross and are spending the night at the Ozanam Center in Brownsville.

Sandoval said she's grateful for the support the community gave them today.

"There are very good people here who have come to help us. They have brought me formula for my baby, diapers, and some clothes for my children," Sandoval said.

But most of all, she's thankful her family and neighbors are alive.

"I thank God that I am alive now, that this didn't happen at night in another scenario where we couldn't be rescued, and I just want my children to continue with their daily lives," Sandoval said.

Efforts are underway to help those that have been affected by the fire.

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