The owner of the apartment told Eyewitness News that he was trying to stay warm by turning on the heater. He says it's the first time the heater has been on.
"I turned on the heater right before I showered and I noticed smoke," Nestor Sanchez said. "So I turned it off and I called the firemen."
His family is waiting to see how much, if anything, they can salvage from the fire.
Investigators are working to determine the official cause.