An intense fire left six Hudson Valley families homeless.

On Friday around 6:30 p.m., first responders rushed to a large fire on Whispering Hills Drive in the Town of Chester, a large townhouse which houses a number of families.

Thick smoke was seen coming out of the downstairs garage of a middle unit, with flames spreading up on the roof of the six-unit building.

A neighbor, Troy James, told Rockland Video he ran into the burning building and knocked all the doors to help get people out of the townhouse, after noticing smoke coming from the building.

All of the residents were safely removed, but some pets were left trapped inside. There's been no word on the pet's conditions.

Firefighters from several departments across Orange County responded and had the fire under control in about an hour.

The entire building suffered extensive smoke and water damage leaving all six units unhabitable, officials say. It's believed the Red Cross is helping the six families who were left homeless. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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