A large fire in Mount Vernon tore through two buildings overnight, leaving several residents displaced and small businesses destroyed.

Authorities say it took hours to put out a fast-moving fire that ripped through two buildings on Mount Vernon Avenue.

One resident told News 12 they were sleeping when they suddenly heard screaming after the fire started around midnight Tuesday. 

Everyone made it out of the buildings uninjured and they are temporarily sheltered at the Dole Recreation Center and receiving aid from the Red Cross.

Maggie Dry Carpet Cleaners was among the businesses impacted, which office manager Maryanne Giglio says has been around for 18 years.

“But no one got hurt, so that's all that matters,” she says.

Acorn, the Westchester County Police arson dog, was on the scene hours after the fire was put out to investigate the cause.

Authorities say it appears the fire may have started in a van before it spread to the building, but the investigation is ongoing.

Mount Vernon's building commissioner says the two buildings are so badly damaged, they will need to be demolished.

This fire happened across the street from a vacant lot where a building once stood. It was badly damaged in December 2021 in a fire that claimed a life.