Online pictures and video show a massive fire lighting up a residential neighbourhood in Saanich B.C. on Vancouver Island while the Saanich Fire Department says it has knocked down the blaze, which started at a construction site and moved to neighbouring townhouses.

Crews have fire knocked down at 4009, Cedar Hill Rd, continuing to knock down hot spots. <a href="https://t.co/ZQ4z0a7N1r">pic.twitter.com/ZQ4z0a7N1r</a> —@SaanichFire

The Saanich Fire Department says crews responded to reports of fire and smoke coming from a construction site at 4009 Cedar Hill Road with the flames causing extensive damage to up to four neighbouring townhouses.

Meanwhile local residents like Matthew Boyd rushed from their homes to witness the dramatic fire.

"Just after 7 we heard some loud explosions from our house, so we immediately went outside and we noticed a large plume of smoke very close by to our house," he said.

"So we ran down to Cedar Hill Road and we noticed there were large flames as tall as the trees at one of the condo developments that was under construction.

"The mood was very ... scary because the explosions were quite loud, they shook the houses around the neighbourhood, so people were quite shocked."

Fire officials do not know at this time how many people have been displaced due to the fire and have not received reports of any injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saanich?src=hash">#Saanich</a> Fire reports fire spreading to trees and fourth townhouse. Listen live <a href="https://t.co/UxtsBrtSH5">https://t.co/UxtsBrtSH5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mtthwbyd">@mtthwbyd</a> <a href="https://t.co/zpAQ0iJQTf">pic.twitter.com/zpAQ0iJQTf</a> —@ScanBC

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saanich?src=hash">#Saanich</a> Fire on scene three townhouses on fire at 4000 Ceder Hill Rd, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Victoria?src=hash">#Victoria</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OakBay?src=hash">#OakBay</a> assisting <a href="https://twitter.com/TDaviesCUPEBC">@TDaviesCUPEBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/jlbtwlNO0U">pic.twitter.com/jlbtwlNO0U</a> —@ScanBC

Hoping there were no casualties. So terrible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyj?src=hash">#yyj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/news?src=hash">#news</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/saanich?src=hash">#saanich</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fire?src=hash">#fire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explosion?src=hash">#explosion</a> <a href="https://t.co/omHSyExcj8">pic.twitter.com/omHSyExcj8</a> —@oreganos_pizza

Crews continue to fight a stubborn fire on Cedar Hill Rd. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyj?src=hash">#yyj</a> <a href="https://t.co/IgGiSBb2MF">pic.twitter.com/IgGiSBb2MF</a> —@stephenlthanna

with files from Angela Sterritt.