VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A woman was injured and two of her cats were killed during a two-alarm fire at a Vancouver townhouse complex.

The blaze began at about 10:40 a.m. Tuesday on East 21st Street near Fourth Plain Boulevard.

A woman escaped from the townhouse and was taken to the hospital in serious condition with burns and smoke inhalation. Firefighters found two of her cats dead and five to seven others are still missing.

"The flames were so high I could see them clean up there on Mill Plain (Boulevard) and I thought maybe it was a business on Fourth Plain (Boulevard), but then found it over here," said Allen Cooper.

Neighbors said they were stunned by how fast the fire spread.

"The flames were really big, really big and bad. We were scared. My sister wanted to leave because she was scared," said Bailey Kelly.

Some siding on a nearby house melted in the blaze, but fire crews said almost all the damage was confined to the townhouses.

Other residents who live in the complex weren't home during the fire and officials said the damage to their unit is extensive.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire and said they believe it started in the home of the injured woman.

Woman Injured, 2 Cats Killed In Townhouse Fire