An early-morning fire damaged two homes on the northwest side.
Firefighters are still trying to figure out what started the fire, and didn't say if it was related to the recent spike of violence in the nearby Sherman Park neighborhood.
The fire broke out just after 4 a.m. near 50th and Clarke.
The roof of one house completely collapsed.
Investigators say the fire started in that home and it's abandoned.
The flames were so intense, they spread to the house next door.
Antwon Haywood lives a block away. He said he was about to go to sleep when he saw the flames shooting into the night sky:
"My instinct kicked in. I ran from a block away. When I got here, I could see the house was on fire real bad.
I was screaming and yelling, beating on everyone's door telling them their house was on fire. I didn't want anyone to burn," Haywood said.
More than eight people were sleeping in the two homes next door. All of them managed to get out safely.
"I woke up out of the deepest sleep, and I thought is this a dream, Camillia Butler said. "I'm like did I hear that? I'm thankful for our neighbor because we were really knocked out asleep."
Investigators said this fire was so hot and powerful, it burned through their hose line.
It took 70 firefighters 40 minutes to get it under control.
The Red Cross is now helping out the family in the second home that was damaged.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters say the home had no gas service or electricity because it was vacant.
