"When I showed up we had flames up above the trees and there was like 20 firefighters just going to town," French Quarter Maintenance Technician George Cook said. 

Luckily apartment number 142-B resident Layne Medders was out delivering newspapers when the fire started.

When she returned home, with no warning of what was happening she saw her home up in flames.

"I parked underneath the awning over there and I got out and I said oh my gosh....I don't know, lost.," Medders said. 

Layne says her neighbors have a good idea how the fire started.

"They heard a truck drive by and throw a firecracker up the walkway," she said.

Layne says the resident above her had to jump off his balcony to get to safety. Thankfully, no one in the apartment complex was hurt.

"It's terrible, you hate to see this sort of thing happen to people, especially on a holiday," Cook said.

The French Quarter complex had enough vacant apartments to transfer residents from the seven apartments in the building which caught fire.

"Everybody has a safe place to stay tonight. They might not have a bed to sleep on but they have a place to sleep at," Cook said.

Although Layne was the only victim with renter's insurance, even that can't replace the things held close to her heart.

"Just start all over," she said.

Cook has been working all day to help residents pick up what pieces they can and move on.

"Fireworks are fun and so are pranks but not whenever it's inside a breeze way and you're going to catch somebody's house on fire. That little prank to wake up your buddy is going to light four or five people loose their home- so it's not funny anymore," he said.