A man who came home to find his New Westminster house on fire grabbed a garden hose and started putting out flames as firefighters rushed toward the scene.

The fire broke out Friday afternoon at a home near Royal Columbian Hospital.

The owner saw smoke and flames pouring from the home, and picked up a hose. Neighbours came to help the fight too, though they had to step back once firefighters arrived. At that point, the fire had grown and was too dangerous.

Officials said the blaze was especially difficult to fight because of the age of the building and a large amount of items inside.

The cause of the fire and cost of damage are not yet known, but it appears that not much will be salvageable.

Fortunately, crews were able to keep the flames from spreading to neighbouring homes, and there have been no reports of injuries.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith