The majority of residents forced out of their apartments by an early morning weekend fire at The Ridge Apartments have been placed in new apartments, a Red Cross official said Monday.

Angela Turner, Red Cross disaster program specialist for Warren County, said all but three families have been placed in new apartments at The Ridge.

“The owner (Anthony Monroe) has been very diligent in helping us find new apartments for the people to live,” she said, adding hotel rooms have been found for temporary housing for the remaining families. Monroe said he is trying to find apartments for remaining families.

The 24-unit Building F of The Ridge Apartments, 420 Lake Hill Drive, was destroyed by a 1:30 a.m. fire Saturday, temporarily displacing 40 to 50 people.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and remained under investigation. Fire Chief Craig Danczyk said authorities have not yet been able to talk with all the residents in the building.

Turner said people wanting to donate clothing and other items for the fire victims can drop them off at the River City Rescue Mission, 3705 Washington Street. The donations must be marked for the fire victims. They will be placed in a special area of the Mission. She said Lifting Lives Ministry on Mississippi 27 and the Salvation Army on Mission 66 will offer clothing vouchers for victims.

Monroe said he will rebuild the building destroyed by the weekend fire.

He said the rebuilt building will have 18 units instead of 24.

“What I’m going to do is take the section that was damaged the most and take the top level off that held six apartments,” he said. “I’ll take the bottom part and install a pitched roof.”

Danczyk said firefighters received a 911 call about 1:30 a.m. Saturday about an apartment fire on Lake Hill Drive and arrived to find flames had already broken through the building’s roof.

Fire fighters were unable to contain the fire, and flames got into the attic and raced the length of the building.