PLYMOUTH, Minn. (WCCO) — A fire in the west metro forced an apartment full of people out into the cold.

Early Wednesday morning, fire fighters responded to Granite Woods apartments near Rockford Road and Highway 169. When they arrived, they found apartments on the second and third floors engulfed in flames.

In all, the smoke and flames damaged at least a dozen units.

Fire fighters say the damage is bad enough to keep people from returning Wednesday. The Red Cross will be helping those people.

Then there was the cold. A number of families spent the morning in the parking lot trying to warm up in their cars.

No one was seriously hurt.

WCCO-TV was told the frigid conditions also meant more fire fighters were needed.