Everyone in a home in Lower Sackville managed to escape when the porch caught fire Monday morning, including a pet hamster.
Halifax firefighters were called to the scene at about 8:31 a.m.
They found fire on the porch, heading into the townhouse and up the outside of the building, according to a social media post from the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters union.
Crews used a hose line to contain the fire and prevent further spread, they said.
District Chief Rob Hebb says everyone had evacuated the building by the time firefighters arrived. When they went in to see how far the fire had spread, they found and rescued a hamster.
Hebb says there were about 20 firefighters on scene in the morning, with three fire engines and one helicopter.
The fire is out, but some investigators are on scene to determine what caused the fire.
-with files from Caitlin Snow
