Neighbors help man escape Mesa house fire

MESA, Ariz. (FOX 10) - Firefighters say a man is safe after being rescued by neighbors during an early-morning house fire in Mesa.

According to the Mesa Fire Department, the fire broke out in the carport of the home just before 5 a.m. at a home near Broadway and Lindsay Roads.

"I got up and the house was on fire, so we went. He was banging on those doors, and I was banging on their doors trying to get everybody out," said Amanda Smith.

Three people live in the home, but only a man was at the home when the fire started. Firefighters say the fire spread to the backyard before they were able to stop the fire from spreading to nearby homes.

One dog was saved from the house fire, but two others were killed.

"This is the one that was able to get out. The fire department got him," said Gladys Castaneda, who lives in the area. "I'm going to go ahead and give him some water, some food."

Firefighters found the dog in the burning home's backyard.

"He kept trying to go back where the porch had fallen in the back, so we were able to coax him over and lift him up over the fence and got a leash on him," said Cpt. Steve Heyer with Mesa Fire and Medical.

A firefighter who injured his knee during the incident was not hospitalized.