A massive amount of house fires in the last two months is straining the Red Cross of Wisconsin's resources.
Forty families were left without a home when flames ripped through a Greenfield apartment building on Monday, Feb. 13.
Firefighters had to rescue five people trapped on a balcony and several pets that were left behind.
Days after the fire, many of these families still can't get back into their homes.
The Red Cross of Wisconsin is now providing shelter, food and clothes to some of those families.
"We had to have to ability to shelter 80 people. Some people had relatives to stay with or they stayed with friends," said Patty Flowers with the American Red Cross.
This year is off to a busy start for the Red Cross of Wisconsin. So far, disaster teams have responded to 131 fires across the state.
The agency is providing assistance to 699 people including 213 children.
"It's a lot. Forty-three counties in our state had fires," Flowers said. "We answer mostly to house fires, that's the number one thing."
Right now, the Red Cross is helping out 20 percent more families than this same time last year.
It is taking it's toll on the organization, but it is not stopping them from doing their job.
If you would like to volunteer, donate blood or money to the organization, visit their website redcross.org.
Investigators are still trying to figure out the cause of that apartment fire.
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