Seven families have been displaced after a fire tore through an apartment complex in Bradford on Monday afternoon.

Not much of the century old building remains on John Street East, despite a hard fought battle by Bradford fire crews. Investigators say the fire broke out in the converted apartment building just after 3:30 p.m. in the roof.

“I’m staying with my sister up the street and I’m to find an apartment,” says Emily Gordon.

Gordon has lost so much; her apartment, her belonging and her fresh start. The single mother was just getting back on her feet.

“Finally had my own independence back and now it's gone again. So like four or five months of independence and now I’ve got to start again.”

Flames engulfed the building, smoke billowed into the street and eventually the roof caved in. Some businesses were asked to evacuate, while police rerouted traffic in the area and closed down streets.

Cheryl McIntosh, a tenant in the building, was home with her two-year-old daughter when the fire broke out.

“The smoke alarm went off; by the time I went back into the living room to grab her and put a blanket over her, it was black and smoky and I just got her out of there,” she says.

Crews came from Innisfil, Bradford and King Township to help knock down the flames, but windy conditions made the fire difficult to control.

“The wind conditions were not in our favour because there was a strong wind, and we ended up having to use master streams to try and control the fire,” says Bradford fire Chief Kevin Gallant.

Firefighters attacked the fire from all sides; at one point there were four tankers pouring water on the building. Investigators say water and fire damage make the building a total loss. No injuries are reported.

“The whole underside of the roof has been damaged and several locations are burnt through,” says Gallant.

The town has opened a bank account at TD Bank called the “27 John Street East Fund” to collect money to help the families affected by the fire.

Clothing, food and toiletries are also being collected at the Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre.