ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A large house fire left one person seriously injured, one occupant, and devastated three homes in the process after winds carried the fire to several homes.

Around 12:30 a.m Sunday, a massive fire on Maryland Oaks Circle left a wake of destruction and a neighborhood on edge.

“The houses are very close together – vinyl siding can easily extend the fire, and we saw that tonight and the heat was so intense, on the opposite street in the back, actually it melted the siding on the houses,” Creve Coeur Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief, Andy Seers said.

Seers confirmed the fire started in the middle house.

Cellphone video by neighbors showed flames several feet high gutting the house, before winds quickly spread the flames to the houses on either side. The fire destroyed the top floor of the house on the left and burned the entire side of the house on the right. Within a few hours, firefighters from multiple departments put out the fire, but all three sustained serious damage. The house where it started, a total loss.

The homeowner didn’t wish to be on camera, explaining he was asleep when it engulfed his house within minutes. His friend was burned and taken to a nearby hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

Local Odray Knox lives one street over. He saw the fire and embers flying into nearby homes, ran over, and started knocking on doors.

“Everybody was panicking, everybody was trying to figure out what was going on, I mean people were sleeping,” Knox shared.

All three houses were occupied at the time of the fire. Thanks to quick actions of Knox and his friend, they helped saved the lives of everyone inside.

“We all kind of know each other and to see three of our numbers go through this, is heartbreaking,” said Knox.

No one else was injured, but the damage and debris remain.

“They lost everything, I can’t imagine dealing with that,” neighbor Elizabeth Robinson expressed. “I’m glad everyone’s ok, or at least alive, but I can’t imagine starting from scratch.”

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. The residents are now on a long road to recovery.

FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.