A fire at a Long Island apartment complex that displaced more than 100 residents and damaged or destroyed over a dozen units was sparked by clothing left on a hot stove, according to officials.

The fire broke out around midday Sunday at the complex in Deer Park, sending flames rapidly through multiple apartments and forcing residents to flee.

“Within a matter of 90 seconds, the black smoke turned to flames shooting right through and it was really upsetting,” said tenant Michael Fitzgerald.

Video showed people scrambling to escape as flames spread and thick smoke filled the building. Many residents were left devastated, with some losing everything they owned.

“I saw my neighbors like the woman whose house was burned. She was crying and I don’t know what I could have done,” said Karan Sachdeva, who lives near where the fire started.

Officials say the fire appeared to be accidental. A Babylon town spokesman said a tenant left clothing on top of a stove that had been turned on, igniting the blaze.

“There were 16 apartments significantly damaged due to fire and smoke conditions and about 60 apartments that were displaced,” the spokesman said, which left dozens of families without a place to call home for the moment.

Crews boarded up the most heavily damaged units Monday as residents assessed the aftermath. All the rest were left temporarily without heat or hot water.

The Red Cross is assisting displaced tenants, marking the second time in three years the organization has responded to a fire at the complex. In Aug. 2023, another blaze caused significant damage to the same property.

Residents said the latest fire could have been even worse.

“What if it happened at midnight, when people were sleeping?” Sachdeva asked.

Despite the destruction, no injuries were reported. Still, for some, the loss is especially painful. At least one victim of the blaze had also lost everything in the 2023 blaze, according to one resident.

“I felt so sorry. I didn’t know how to comfort them,” Annie Wang said.

Cleanup efforts were underway as families began the long process of rebuilding their lives.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.