Multiple residents have been displaced by a two-alarm fire that occurred at a four-story apartment building in Mount Vernon on Saturday night.

Calls reporting the fire came in at around 6:30 p.m., according to fire officials.

Officials say crews at the scene made an interior attack, but the fire got ahead of them when flames ascended the walls and reached the cockloft on the roof of the building.

Officials say it was a difficult fire and one firefighter sustained minor injuries.

The building, which is home to around 16 apartments and a deli, was left unsafe and uninhabitable by the blaze.

Deli owner Gilbert Dejesus told News 12 that he was there when the fire began.

"I was the one who called the firefighter,” he said. "I was not expecting this to happen."

One displaced tenant said that they found out about the fire just as they were getting ready to take a nap.

“My husband heard a bang at the door, so he went to go check. We just thought it was people talking and maybe someone hit our door,” said Alesha Pryce. “Our neighbor said 'fire'. We saw smoke coming up the stairs. He ran back to get the baby; I was trying to get the kids out. We all ran out."

Pryce’s husband says the impact of the fire has been devastating for their family.

"I recently started school. I lost all of my assignments that are due today. I bought two laptops. Everything. They're gone,” said Leon Pryce.

Officials from the Red Cross say they registered 33 people from 18 families who have been displaced. A shelter and reception center are now open at the Doles Recreation Center for residents who need meals or a place to stay. They say 17 people took shelter there from Saturday night into Sunday morning.