Flames erupted in a Mount Vernon home overnight, causing 15 people to flee to safety.

Fire officials say the fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the E. Third Street home off Warwick Street. The fire started in a third-floor apartment of the three-family house and quickly spread.

Fifteen people managed to escape the fire. Firefighters said it took them more than three hours to get the fire under control.

Most of the people forced out of their homes will be staying will relatives or they will get assistance from the Red Cross.

There's no word on the official cause of the fire.