EXCLUSIVE

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are getting major props from their neighbors for staving off the devastating Woolsey wildfire ... with the help of their private team of firefighters.

TMZ broke the story, the blaze started to creep up on Kim and Kanye's Hidden Hills mansion Friday after a mandatory evacuation of the area. The couple's home sits at the end of a cul-de-sac and borders a field -- meaning if their place went up in flames, it would start a domino effect on the whole neighborhood.

Sources tell us Kim and Kanye hired a private team to battle the flames on their property. The team was armed with hoses, and also tirelessly dug ditches to create a fire break.

Ultimately, they successfully saved the Wests' $60 million house... and countless others on the block. We spoke with a few neighbors who are thanking the Wests for putting a team on the front lines and saving their homes.

As we reported -- Kim posted video of the fires as she flew into L.A. Thursday -- the family stayed at a nearby hotel during the evacuations.