Several neighbours sprang into action this evening following a house fire in south-end Barrie that spread to the home next door.
Barrie firefighters responded to "multiple" 911 calls shortly before 6 p.m., Wednesday, for a structure fire on Chieftain Crescent, near Little Avenue and Fairview Road.
Danielle Perry, who lives across the street from 107 Chieftain Cres., said she was in her bedroom with the window open when she was alerted to something wrong.
"I could smell smoke, but it wasn't regular barbecue smoke," Perry told BarrieToday.
Perry came outside to see flames and smoke coming from 107 Chieftain.
"As I came out of the house, the teenagers were already coming out of the garage," said Perry, who alerted people to the fire with help from several other residents.
Nicole Leduc, who lives on Yonge Street, said she was driving down Little Avenue when she saw the smoke. She turned onto Chieftain Crescent and came across the fire scene.
"I just saw smoke and then the brick and everything just popped," Leduc told BarrieToday. "The whole house was in flames."
The fire also caused substantial damage to the neighbouring home at 109 Chieftain.
"When we arrived on scene, the garage was fully involved into the house (at 107 Chieftain) and had extended to the house next door," Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Carrie Clark said at the scene. "It was in the garage, so there were no smoke alarm required in a garage."
No one was injured.
Seven fire trucks responded to the scene.
"It was a quick knockdown from the crews and (they) were able to stop the forward progress," Clark said. "We're still in suppression mode because there's some hotspots and then we'll be transitioning into investigative mode."
Clark commended the neighbours for what they did to help people.
"The neighbourhood came together and knocked on doors and got everybody out," she said. "The first of first-responders are really great in this neighbourhood. They got everybody out and kept them safe.
"We had multiple 911 calls on this," Clark added. "Everyone did all the right things in alerting and keeping people away."
City police were also advising motorists to avoid the area.
