Two homes were destroyed in a fire near the intersection of Southmost Road and Tulipan Street in Brownsville.

The fire happened on Monday at around 3:30 p.m. It could not be contained fast enough, spreading to two neighboring homes. One of the homes belonged to a man who lives by himself.

The man managed to get out, but burned himself trying to respond to the fire. The other, a home to a couple who wasn't home at the time, also burned.

The fire took a crew of 20 firefighters three hours to work.

"The initial attacking apparatus encountered a fire load at the rear of the residence that had already spread. Both homes now are considered a total loss," Brownsville Fire Department spokesperson Hector Martinez said.

The fire department said the victims are getting assistance from the American Red Cross.

According to a witness, the fire started in the backyard of one of the homes and spread to the other. The Brownsville Fire Department said the cause of the fire isn't known yet. 

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