Nineteen people have been displaced following a fire at a 12-unit apartment complex in Halifax Saturday night.

The Canadian Red Cross says the blaze began around 8 p.m. at 3675 Windsor Street. Eleven of 12 apartments were occupied at the time.

Officials say the fire was on the second and third floors of the building.

"We're not sure if it started on the outside and went inside or started on the inside and went outside,” says Halifax Fire’s acting division commander Patrick Kline.

Tenants were all evacuated safely and none were taken to hospital.

Kiara Ardelli lives next door and got a panicked call at work when the fire broke out.

“Someone asked if my apartment was on a fire,” Ardelli says. “Of course I freaked out.”

She soon realized it was the neighbouring building, but she's still living with some of the aftermath.

"My apartment smells a little bad, but other than that its fine," says Ardelli.

Officials say there was extensive fire damage to the front of the wood frame structure and smoke or water damage elsewhere. They say the 12 units are now uninhabitable.

Kline says it could be some time before residents can return home.

"We're not sure when they can get back in,” says Kline. “Investigators will be here until suppertime doing that part of it, then we have to find out if the building is structurally sound."

The Canadian Red Cross has provided emergency lodging to seven people, while the remaining 12 are staying with family or friends.

There’s no word yet on the cause.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett.