McCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. —After hours of watching firefighters battle fierce flames, an uncertain reality sets in for people suddenly without a home.  Within minutes, everything they had went up in smoke.
The fire roared through an entire complex, known as Windmill Crossing on Lovelaceville Road despite intense efforts from multiple fire departments.
The devastation forces at least six families to find new homes.
Multiple agencies worked as quickly as possible, even battling the blaze with a ladder.
Fighting this fire was no easy task.  For Bobby Lynn and others who lived here, neither was watching.
Lynn lived right beside the apartment where firefighters believe the fire started. This afternoon a neighbor knocked on his door.

"It's on fire, I said what's on fire because I knew where I was at the moment wasn't no fire problem," Lynn told Local 6.

But by the time he walked outside everything changed. Flames engulfed his apartment. The same thing happened to Hope Brown.

"When I looked out the flames were shooting our way pretty fast so I didn't have time to get anything," Brown said.

All they could do is gather at the church next door, where they found Pastor Brent Ballow.

"Mainly I asked if I could give em a hug because that's about all I could do," Ballow said.

As responders doused the complex with water Ballow also used water, to quench his neighbor's thirst, cool them off, and remind people like Hope that there is hope, even when it seems like all is lost.

The congregation met for bible study, the pastor planned on having a special prayer for their neighbors in
in need.

The Paducah Area Chapter of the Red Cross put the families up in hotels, also provided the families with a food and clothing allowance, and they too provided food and drink to victims and first responders .
The Lone Oak Fire Chief told Local 6 the state fire Marshall will visit the scene to investigate the cause tomorrow morning.