An eight-alarm blaze tore through at least five row homes in Union City Wednesday night.
Crews responded to the fire after receiving reports of a man trapped in the basement of a home on Bregenline Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m., according to WBAC-TV.
Firefighters were forced back by intense flames and were unable to search for the man. He remains unaccounted for.
Close to 10 firefighters were treated for minor injuries caused by slipping on ice that formed due to the frigid temperatures.
More than 40 residents were evacuated and spent the night at a nearby school.
"It's a devastating fire on a very cold night for these families," Union City Mayor Brian Stack told the news station. "Some of these families are very poor. They are just trying to make ends meet."
Residents told the news station that a similar fire torched the same block 11 years ago.
The cause Wednesday's fire is currently under investigation.
