CENTRAL— The Central Fire Department said before it arrived at a house fire on El Ranchitos Avenue on Sunday, they found an elderly couple was already out of the house thanks to neighbors stepping in.

Assistant Fire Chief Derek Glover said they received a call around 4:30 p.m., and when they arrived, the house was engulfed in flames, and the residents were already outside the home.

Glover said thanks to the neighbors' swift actions, the situation could've been worse.

"They may have suffered some more extensive burns or damage to their body before being removed from the fire," Glover said.

Glover said the fire was caused by an accident due to the elderly man trying to remove a wasp or bee nest using an unknown substance, which caused the fire.

“The gentleman of the home was trying to remove wasps or bees from the front porch area of the home, unknown what substance he was using, trying to remove these bees, but somehow it caught on fire,” he said.

One neighbor told WBRZ his wife saw the fire from their kitchen window, and he immediately put on his shoes and ran out the door to help the couple. The neighbor said that the man was trapped, so he had to tear down the railing to rescue him.

Glover said good neighbors are the backbone of a strong community.

"If my home was on fire and I was trapped in it, I would hope my neighbor would get me out. Just being a good neighbor," Glover said.