BAY CITY -- Update: November 14, 2011

The Greater Bible Way Temple Church is reaching out to help the victims from the apartment fire.  Five families have lost everything and are in need of food, clothing, and money to help them get back on their feet.  Monday, NBC25 spoke with victims who say they're grateful for the help from this church. You can hear their story in the video below.

Five families in Bay City are without a home today after an early morning fire. Tenants had reported smelling smoke and within a few moments the entire roof had collapsed in. It was just after four a.m. when Bay City firefighters got the call about a burning structure at the intersection of Tenth and Jefferson streets.

Resident Stewart Clark says, "The neighbor down stairs is banging on everyone's door, "Get up, get up, get up." by the time I got up I saw smoke in my apartment and then I had to go grab my kid, throw some shoes on him, throw a coat on there. thank god he slept in his clothes last night."

Stewart clark heard the shouts for help early this morning and says that's how he and his family made it out just in time. Firefighters and residents say the flames wasted no time completely consuming the property.

Another resident Sara Schlicker says, "As soon as he got everybody out it went up and I mean just engulfed in flames."

While some residents worried about children, some tenants scrambled to save their pets, Cats and even bearded dragons. Michael Depeal says, "The police had to take me out forcefully because I wasn't going to leave without the animals and I couldn't find them."

They all made it out safely. Firefighters are now trying to figure what caused the complex to go up in flames so quickly.