By Pete Suarez, American Red Cross Public Affairs

It had been a pleasant and clear Sunday night. On Monday morning, the sun rose in South Florida and the temperature reached a balmy 77 degrees. Being on the Atlantic Ocean, the morning trade winds caressed Miami with a gentle breeze. Apart from the usual rush-hour traffic, it seemed like any other day. Then, around 8:10 a.m., the first alarm went off.

Moments later, the City of Miami Police arrived at the Temple Court Apartments, where thick smoke was pouring out from the top floor of the building. Immediately following the police were several fire trucks with their sirens blaring. As the police and firefighters set up their units, first responders went door to door, waking up startled residents. Fire trucks extended their life-saving platform ladders to reach balconies and began dousing the flame with powerful sprays of water.

Wadith Martinez, the Community Disaster Program Manager for the Greater Miami and The Keys Chapter, happened to be on his way to a meeting at the city's fire department when he learned about the fire. The meeting was cancelled as everyone rushed to respond to the out-of-control blaze.

Martinez quickly sent an all-hands-on-deck alert to the local Disaster Action Team (DAT) members. As the DAT Lead volunteer for the Greater Miami and The Keys Chapter, I grabbed my Red Cross gear and off I went.

Driving to the scene of the apartment complex, now a three-alarm fire, was complicated. A huge column of smoke was visible from miles away, but the usual morning rush-hour traffic slowed everything down.

When I arrived, I found residents assembled in the park across the street from their building. Police and Red Cross responders were already assisting them.

Among the displaced was Beatriz Cruz. "We were getting up and we heard the alarm and immediately went out to the door. Well, I saw an older lady who lives on the same floor… she told us, there's a fire and my husband went out and indeed we saw that smoke was already rising from the balcony," Cruz told me.

Cruz's husband ran back to their bedroom to salvage what he could. "What he was able to get was a briefcase where he keeps documents, the passports and some money," she said.

To escape, Cruz and her husband walked down four flights of stairs but not before knocking on the doors of each apartment they passed, shouting to alert their neighbors of the fire that was consuming their building.

Once all the residents were safe, the next order of business was to arrange basic comforts like water and food. As people started to realize they had survived a serious event, DAT volunteers listened to their stories while offering hope and guiding them through the next steps to take.

Some of the families who evacuated only had their keys or cell phones. Many had no relatives nor means to survive the next few days. That's where the Red Cross shines – we aid those in need when crises such as home fires happen.

Within hours, the Red Cross set up a shelter at the nearby Jose Marti Recreation Center with cots, blankets and other essentials to support the displaced residents. A gymnasium was transformed into a safe haven.

"It was a bad experience because we never thought that we would go through a moment like this, but at the same time, we're having a great experience with the help we have received from the staff at the Red Cross," said Cruz.

Red Crossers from across South Florida staffed the shelter while volunteer nurses replenished medications lost in the fire and meals and snacks were plentiful. Fortunately, the building's management team soon secured temporary housing at a nearby motel, offering a more sustainable, long-term solution for the residents.

Over the following weeks, the Red Cross worked with residents from over 70 apartment units that were affected to provide financial assistance, help and support in their recovery process. Many residents soon left the motel and found new places to live.

Recently, I checked in with Cruz. She and her husband have now taken up residence in a modern apartment building located just south of downtown Miami, across the street from a hospital. "We are not getting younger," she said, appreciative of the convenience.

Many people don’t realize we have just two minutes to escape a home fire — which is the nation’s most frequent disaster. When tragedies like this occur, the Red Cross stands ready to provide help and hope when people need it most. If you've been affected by a home fire and need assistance, please contact your local Red Cross chapter or call 1-800-RED CROSS.