Homeowner outside when fire starts

No one was hurt, but a house fire in a north London neighbourhood Wednesday left $500,000 in damages.

London firefighters spent hours dousing the blaze that erupted around noon at 565 Leyton Cr.

“It was a stubborn fire,” said London Fire Department fire prevention inspector Kyle Kieraszewicz.

“There were two roof lines and access to the attic was difficult, so it was more time-consuming than normal.”

Seven fire trucks were at the scene of the blaze by 1 p.m.

Kieraszewicz said he expects the fire started in the backyard of the home, but its exact cause is not yet known.

The homeowner was outside doing yard work when it began.

Natural gas feeding a barbecue worsened the blaze until firefighters could shut off the main gas valve of the home.

“It supplied fuel to the fire, which intensified it in a couple areas,” said Kieraszewicz.

During the fire, Leyton Crescent was blocked off from Bromleigh Avenue to Wychwood Park.

Most of the damage was to the house where the fire started, though the vinyl siding on a next-door-neighbour’s house had noticeably melted.

Residents of the house where the fire started have arranged for another place to stay while the damage is assessed. The’d lived in the home for 45 years.