A Stevenson Ranch apartment fire that erupted early Friday morning hours destroyed 19 units and left at least 41 people without a home.

Video by Mauricio La Plante:

In response, community members and Santa Clarita-associated organizations are stepping up Saturday to help those families move forward.

“As a longtime residents of Parc Chateaux, this fire literally hits close to home, which is why we want to do anything we can to help our neighbors,” said Josh Premako, an apartment complex neighbor of those who saw their homes burn down. “I know from speaking with the Red Cross this morning that a very immediate need is clothing (both adult and youth) as apparently many had to evacuate with just the clothes they were wearing.”

And while neighbors, friends and family can help contribute with clothing, the Red Cross is assisting those families financially for their immediate needs.

Related: Stevenson Ranch Apartment Fire Cleanup Continues, Firefighters Still On Scene

“We had opened a shelter at College of the Canyons for the three families that needed immediate shelter,” said Josh Brown, Red Cross Disaster Program Manager for the Santa Clarita Valley. “We had reached out to all the individuals and offered them help and had conversations about recovery.

In total, three families stayed at the College of the Canyons shelter, but as of Saturday morning, the final client left. The Red Cross’s next goal is to help them return to normalcy.

“Now, our role is to provide financial assistance for hotels, food, and getting them in contact with our agencies in the county that have the resources they need,” said Brown. “We want everyone affected by this fire to understand that they have someone that can help guide them until they can get back up on their feet.”

The fire, which Red Cross officials confirmed displaced 41 people, is one of the many emergencies that the Red Cross is dealing with this week.

“Across the state and country, the Red Cross is responding to a number of fires along with responding to east Texas and all those areas affected by Hurricane Harvey,” said Brown.

Brown wishes to remind people that if someone would like to volunteer for the Red Cross and assist with disaster relief, they should visit here.

If someone wishes to help locally with the needs of the Stevenson Ranch Fire victims, they can reach out to Premako at 661.904.0431 or [email protected].

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!