LONDON, ONT. -- Strathroy-Caradoc police are commending the efforts of a neighbour to help a homeowner escape unscathed from a house fire Thursday evening.

The fire began just before 9 p.m. at a home on Southfield Drive.

The blaze is believed to have started in the garage and quickly spread causing significant damage to the home.

A nearby neighbor saw the flames and called 9-1-1 while also helping the homeowner out of the house.

While the homeowner was not injured there were family pets that died in the fire.

An investigation into the fire is ongoing and a damage estimate has not been released.