Laura White comforts two of her children, who arrived home from school to find their apartment on fire. (CBC)Two Saint John families — including nine children — are homeless just one week before Christmas following a fire in the city's north end Wednesday.

The fire started in the second-floor apartment of the old wooden house on Bryden Street shortly before noon.

Randy Haley and his fiancée Laura White were in their downstairs apartment with their two toddlers when they noticed the smoke.

"She come in she said 'Randy the place is full of smoke' and I ran out and sure enough the kitchen and everything was all full of smoke and I couldn't figure it out," said Haley.

'The whole back part's burned...All the gifts that we had...That's it, that's all I know right now.'—Randy Haley, tenant

"I went to my back door and I looked up and I seen the flames coming out the top apartment.

"So I ran...immediately got the kids out, and me and Bud Raines ran in the top to make sure nobody was there...and the kids....to make sure...and that's it," said Haley, through tears.

"The whole back part's burned...All the gifts that we had...That's it, that's all I know right now."

White's two oldest kids came home from school to find their home on fire.

"It's OK baby. We'll take care of it," said White, embracing them. "Hold me tight...I need a big hug."

The other family wasn't home at the time, said White. They were at the hospital with a sick child, she said.

Fear it would spread

Thick smoke from the fire on Bryden Street quickly spread through the city's north end Wednesday. (CBC)No one was injured, but the building sustained extensive damage, said District Chief Peter Saab.

"Judging from what I see from the exterior, there's a fair amount of damage done on the upper floors here, so I suspect this house will be out of operation for a while," he said.

Thick black smoke was billowing from the building and flames were visible when fire crews arrived.

Strong bitter cold winds pushed the smoke through a large part of the north end, raising fears the fire might spread in this community of century-old wood frame buildings, Saab said.

But firefighters were able to limit the fire to the apartment house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building was insured.

This is the latest in a string of fires in the city's north end this year.

The ONE Change community police station at 223 Victoria St. is accepting donations on behalf of the two couples and nine children, who range in age from two to 17, said spokeswoman Susan Boudreau. "Anything anyone can do to help these families would be muchly appreciated," she said.

Some of the items they need include furniture, household appliances, linens and clothing, said Boudreau. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information, call 693-9498.