Wilson, N.C. — A fire at the Forest Hills Manor apartments in Wilson displaced as many as nine families on Friday night.

Firefighters responded to calls about the fire around 9 p.m. and had the fire mostly out by shortly after 10 p.m., though some hot spots flared up.

At least nine apartments sustained significant damage, but all the residents managed to get out safely, firefighters said.

Ricardo Hawkins said he was at work around 9 p.m. when his wife called to tell him about the fire.

He said he dropped everything, "but before I got home, they called me said, 'Slow down, no need to get hurt or get a ticket, because you lost everything.'"

The Red Cross worked to find the displaced families shelter for the night.

 One firefighter was treated for dehydration at a local hospital. He's expected to be fine, firefighters said.

Authorities blocked off all of Forest Hills Road during the fire and expected to keep it closed throughout Friday night.

Hawkins said he thought the fire started when one of his neighbors fell asleep while cooking. Investigators would not confirm that and said they would be back on the scene on Saturday to look for clues to the cause of the fire.