Halifax firefighters rescued a lizard from a house fire in Halifax Thursday afternoon.

Kennedy Turner, who lives near the Sullivan Street house, called 911 around 12:15 p.m. when she saw the home of her "awesome neighbours" go up in flames.

"It was a bunch of smoke and as I was on the phone with the dispatcher, it just lit up. It was insane," she said.

She said the family of four was not hurt in the fire, though the father tried to go back in to rescue the family pets.

"I was screaming at him: you're not going back inside this house, you're staying outside. It's not safe," Turner told reporters.

Firefighters brought the reptile out safely much to the relief of its owners. (CBC)

The dog escaped safely, but the cat died. Mike Blackburn, district chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said firefighters quickly put the fire out.

The big fire started at one home on Sullivan Street and spread to several others, Blackburn said. Two of the houses suffered "significant damage."

Blackburn said it's too early to say what started the fire, or where it started. He thinks the buildings are salvageable.

He said they brought in extra firefighters so they could rotate out as they fought the fire as the temperature approached 30 C.

"It's a tough day. All the responders are working hard," he said.

Firefighters remained on the scene Thursday afternoon to ensure all the hot spots are out. (CBC)

MORE TOP STORIES