15 people displaced, 3 firefighters injured after fire spreads through multiple homes on Staten Island

Fifteen people were displaced and three firefighters suffered  minor injuries after a fire spread across at least three homes on Staten Island late Saturday night, officials said early Sunday.

The fire started on the first floor of a two-story home in Charleston, Staten Island, around 10 p.m. Saturday night, according to the FDNY. The flames then spread to two neighboring units.

More than 140 firefighters responded to the scene, and it took about an hour for crews to gain control of the blaze, according to officials. Strong winds complicated efforts to contain the fire by spreading the flames from one unit to another, and siding melted off of neighboring residences because of the heat.

"It could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for the aggressive actions by the FDNY," FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Kevin Woods said.

The injured firefighters were taken to hospitals, Woods said. No residents were hurt, but one dog is missing, local outlet PIX 11 reported.

Resident Mark Keane, who took cellphone video of the fire late Saturday, told CBS News New York that he smelled the fire and left his home to investigate.

"It just came out of nowhere and erupted like an absolute apocalypse," Keane said. “It looked like an out-of-control bonfire. The wind then started blowing and it completely caught fire.”

New York City Council Member Joe Borelli, who represents Staten Island's south shore, put out a call on social media for gift-card donations for those affected by the fire.

Investigators have not yet determined a cause for the blaze.

Last week, a Staten Island firefighter was released from a hospital after suffering serious internal injuries to his esophagus when his face piece was knocked off his face while responding to a fire, the Staten Island Advance reported.