A fire destroyed an apartment complex in Starr County early Sunday morning, leaving the owner to rebuild after losing years of work.

Ricardo Gonzalez has lived in Las Lomas for more than 30 years. About a decade ago, he bought a piece of land a few houses from his home and built three apartments as a source of income for him and his wife.

The roof, stoves, and cabinets were all destroyed in the fire. Gonzalez said he does not understand how it started.

"There were no lights on in any of them and no candles either because nobody was staying here,” Gonzalez said. “This was done on purpose.”

Gonzalez said a family friend called him around 7 a.m. Sunday to tell him his apartments were on fire. As he made his way to the property, he had one thing in mind.

"I said, 'I hope it's just a minor issue that can be fixed,' but no, I saw that this was really in bad condition," Gonzalez said.

Neighbors next door spent the whole night using a hose to spray water on the roof because sparks were flying in that direction.

The state fire marshal's K-9 unit came to the scene to help investigators determine whether anyone used accelerants to start the fire. San Isidro Fire Department Firefighter Randy Romero said help from the state matters for smaller communities.

"They have more resources than us in the county, and we rely on them to help us out and to complete the investigation," Romero said.

The San Isidro Fire Department got the call around 2 a.m. Sunday. Four surrounding fire departments responded to help.

"We're also protecting exposure to the neighboring houses and everything. So maybe at least 30 minutes to an hour to control everything and keep it contained," Romero said.

Gonzalez had to return $700 to a couple who were supposed to move in the day of the fire. Though he lost everything inside the apartments, he said he is grateful no one was hurt.

Fire investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire.