RAVENA, N.Y. -- “All I know is that people came banging on my door saying fire, I was like what,” said Oakwood Manor resident Bruce Carle. “My heart just starting pounding.”

Carle lives next door to what's left of building two at the Oakwood Manor Apartments in Ravena. Firefighters spent most of Saturday afternoon fighting fierce flames and heavy smoke.

“When I arrived it was just starting to go through the roof and flames were 30 to 40 feet in the air,” said Coeymans Police Chief Gregory Darlington.

High winds blew clouds of smoke from the fire and at times swallowed up fire fighters completely.

Investigators said 12 apartments were destroyed, but everyone got out safely. The Red Cross said it is helping seven families find a place to stay.

Investigators said the fire started in a first floor storage area and said it was no accident.

“A couple of the tenants heard some people in a storage area, when they went to check they ran out. And it was a couple of minutes later that they smelled the smoke,” said Darlington.

Darlington said witnesses provided a description of a man running from that storage area and said others could be involved.

This is the second fire at the complex in the last year.

Two 14-year-olds have been arrested in connection with the fire. The two teenagers being charged as adults with second degree arson.