A portion of an apartment complex in Hauppauge was damaged by a fire Friday afternoon.
Firefighters from five departments raced to the scene shortly after a 911 call came in at 2:15 p.m.
Fire officials say as many as eight units at the Fairfield complex on New Highway were damaged by smoke and flames.
Naidu Mopidevi, who lives in one of the affected apartments, says he was at work when he got a call that his apartment was on fire. He rushed home only to watch helplessly as his place burned the ground.
Mopidevi says he lost everything, including his passport, work visa and other important documents.
"We are thinking about our documents and where to live tonight and where to live tomorrow," he told News 12.
Officials say no one was in the affected part of the building when flames erupted.
There was no word on exactly how many people were displaced by the fire. The cause is under investigation.