Frightening moments people escaped Elizabeth, New Jersey house fire caught on video

ELIZABETH, New Jersey (WABC) -- Video captured the frightening moments people escaped a home in New Jersey just seconds before heavy smoke and flames consumed it around 9 a.m. Saturday.

"We were sort of smelling smoke at the in our room, came out to check to make sure that, like, it wasn't anything on the outside, outside, like a car or anything like that. Once we realized that there was that much smoke coming in, we...like, ran out, and we realized the neighbor part of the property was on fire," said Archie De La Cruz.

De La Cruz, his wife Debbie and their one year old live on the left side of the Stiles Street Duplex in Elizabeth. While they managed to escape unharmed, fire officials say at least six people were rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"We got reports that all the victims had self-extricated and we went into our fire suppression mode immediately" said Elizabeth Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Preston, "we had heavy fire on the first floor extending to the second floor, so we believe that it started on the first floor."

It took roughly 80 firefighters to bring the flames under control in two hours, but not before it spread to the house next door, also displacing residents there. The Red Cross was on scene handing out blankets and offering comfort and support to at least three families.

Julio Dos Santos' family was one of them - they live on the right side of the duplex. Dos Santos says he just returned home when the fire started.

Just before Thanksgiving, residents say they are thankful. Community members donated diapers to the De La Cruz family.

"Everyone's been so nice and welcoming. Our neighbors have been fantastic," said Debbie De La Cruz.

They just moved in the home a year ago.

"I was pregnant and then I gave birth - all she knows is the house. We put everything into the house. So I mean, you lose something like that - it's a shock. But again, we're just thankful to be alive," she said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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