A fire in Irvington destroyed one home and damaged two others.

It started at around 8 a.m. along Washington Avenue near Springfield Avenue.

The fire began inside of an abandoned home, which is said to be used by squatters.

Takiyah Diamond lives in the multifamily home alongside the one where the fire started.

“A lot of times squatters will come in and out," she says. “It wasn’t really boarded up because the person who owns it was going to restructure the home.”

Diamond says another neighbor, who was out walking his dog, saw the initial flames and called 911.

She says she wasn't aware of the fire until she heard banging on the door.

“I just got a bunch of banging, get out get out the house next door is on fire," she says.

Diamond heard that order, threw on her robe, grabbed the dog and got out.

Her house suffered minimal damage from the heat of the fire.

The flames also spread to the house on the other side, resulting in severe damage to that home.

Once that home was cleared of any danger, family members were allowed to go back inside and fill bags with whatever survived the damage.

No one was injured in this fire.