Two houses in Summerside in south Edmonton were "significantly damaged" by fire Monday morning, said a fire department spokesperson.
One homeowner, Sandra Manseau, credits her dog Kiara for alerting her to the fire.
The dog jumped "straight out of bed" at 6 a.m., which is something she never does, said Manseau. When she opened the door to let the dog outside, she noticed flames on the neighbours' deck and called 911.
"Our windows were open, their windows were not open. So their house was nearly engulfed by the time that they figured it out," said Manseau.
"I didn't have their phone number, I couldn't even call them and I couldn't ring the bell because everything was on fire because it started on the front deck," she said.
"You hear stories about animals saving humans, we were never in real danger this time," she said.
"But had we been, I know now I could have counted on her."
Manseau and her husband brought their dog Kiara and three ferrets out of the house with them.
Firefighters got their bird out, along with two pet hamsters.
The neighbours, a couple and their baby, also got out their house safely, she said.
Four units responded to the initial call, and two more were called in to help, said Stewart.
The fire was deemed under control at 6:46 a.m., but crews were continuing to put out hotspots.
Once the fire is out, investigators will begin the work of determining the cause, Stewart said.