A fast-moving fire forced occupants out of a multi-family Bridgeport home Sunday and left them homeless.

Firefighters say the blaze started about 7 a.m. in a second-floor bedroom in the Stratford Avenue home and quickly spread to the third floor and roof. First-floor tenant Elizabeth Russau says she was awakened by banging on her door. The homeowners say they went looking for their mother, who neighbors affectionately call Miss Georgia, after they heard smoke detectors. She suffered breathing problems and was taken to the hospital, but relatives say she will recover.

However, Russau?s second brush with fire has left her shaken. Russau says she was nearly burned alive less than a year ago when she lived on Eagle Street. The Red Cross is helping Russau and 11 others find temporary housing. The cause of the fire is under investigation.