A Fort Langley home was seriously damaged by fire on Monday afternoon, but the owner got out safely and unharmed.

The homeowner noticed smoke and tried to douse the fire himself, but then fled the home and called 9-1-1 at about 5:50 p.m., said assistant Township fire chief Dale Steeple.

Fire crews from Fort Langley, Walnut Grove, and Willoughby fire halls sped to the scene, with 24 firefighters on site.

A crew entered the back door of the home to knock down the flames.

“Just as they were about to make entry, the front window blew out,” Steeple said.

The fire was put out within about two hours. The house suffered significant damage, but was not destroyed, Steeple said. The home was an older bungalow-style home of about 1,000 square feet.

The owner was not harmed, and no firefighters were hurt, Steeple said.

A team from the fire department was scheduled to head to the house on site Tuesday to investigate the cause of the fire.

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