A home in southeast Edmonton has been reduced to a charred shell after a fire early Wednesday morning, and while the family that lived there is homeless, they are thanking the neighbour who helped them escape in time. 

Seven pumper trucks and 30 firefighters were called to the scene in the Tamarack neighbourhood just before 3:00 Tuesday morning.

Bystanders were able to get the occupants of the home out safely before flames roared through the house, also causing damage to the home next door. 

The daughter of the woman who lives in the house says neighbours saved the lives of her mother and brother.

"We're a hundred percent thankful for them. He saved their life. He totally saved their life." Tammy Onciul told CTV News.

Sunny Grewal said he made the 911 call, and started banging on the front door of the home to wake up family inside.

“I wanted to make sure they came out but the heat was so strong, the smoke was all in my eyes and everything,” Grewal said.

Grewal said he then tried to keep the flames at bay with a garden hose, but the fire continued to spread quickly.

Crews are praising the quick reactions of neighbours to get residents out of the burning houses.

"We got lots of room to work in out here, and it worked out pretty good especially this time of the morning." said District Chief Randy Shakura, "Typically we know there are going to be people inside and we've been to a lot of fires where the outcome hasn't been as positive."

Most of the firefighters cleared to leave the scene a few hours after they were called in, as investigators move in to try and discover what caused the blaze. At this point, crews don't know whether the fire originated inside or outside the home.

For now, the family that lived in the home destroyed in the fire said they will stay with relatives, and they’re grateful that Grewal stepped in, calling him a hero.

“They keep saying that, but I was just at the right place at the right time,” Grewal said. “They’re thanking me obviously so I’m just happy they’re ok.”

The woman whose home was lost in the fire also lost her mother in a house fire in 1987.

Damage has been pegged at $565,000 - for the home destroyed by the blaze, the heat damage to the neighbouring home, and damage to a vehicle that was parked on the street.

With files from Amanda Anderson