BOSTON —Dozens of people were evacuated into bitter cold temperatures early Thursday after a fire broke out in a multifamily building in East Boston.

The fire broke out at 151 Saratoga St. at around 5 a.m. By 6 a.m., it appeared firefighters had knocked down most of the heavy flames. Boston Fire said flames were visible on all three levels and concentrated in the back of the building.

"If you look at the building, it's brick in the front and wood in the back. Heavy fire was in the back, also exposing the rear of the building," Boston Fire Deputy Chief James Greene said.

In addition to the fire, crews faced congested, narrow streets and ice. The temperature was about 18 degrees when the fire broke out.

"(It was) a really difficult fire to fight. As you can see, there's wires across the street, it's difficult getting ladder access, we actually had to access the roof from one of the exposed buildings," Greene said.

Boston Fire officials said as many as 33 people were displaced. There were no reported injuries to residents or firefighters.

"I’ve lived here my whole life. The scariest thing is all houses are connected. When one goes up, others can too," East Boston resident Cynthia Visajel said.

All the residents got out of the building and the two adjoining buildings on their own. Many of the displaced residents were sheltered at the Central Community Church.

"It was evident that people needed an immediate place to be, it's so cold out," the Rev. David Searles said.

Searles also lives on Saratoga Street and said he needed to help his neighbors who lost not only their homes but possessions, memories and sense of safety.

"We have people of different ages and some people with some health issues, so it's important to get them in a safe and warm place," he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.