Neighbors credited with helping fight house fire in New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) – Firefighters in New Bedford are crediting neighbors with helping fight a house fire Monday evening.

The New Bedford Fire Department says it responded to a house fire on Rockdale Avenue around 5:00 p.m. and arrived to find neighbors fighting the fire with buckets of water.

Crews quickly put out the blaze and credited the neighbors with slowing the spread of the fire prior to their arrival.

Firefighters were able to remove family pets from the home, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The house suffered some exterior damage, but officials say the family will be able to reoccupy the home.

Exterior damage visible to a house after Monday evening’s fire (New Bedford Fire Department)