Raw video from the scene | 11 News report

A man was rescued from his burning home just before the flames could get to him.

KHOU-TV

The lone occupant of the house had mild smoke inhalation.

The fire started around 1:45 a.m. in the 5800 block of Silver Forest in northwest Houston, but firefighters were initially dispatched to West Tidwell.

When they got to the first location, they saw a column of smoke and finally located the fire.

As they approached the home, they heard a man calling for help.

"When they went around the structure to see the extent of the fire, they heard somebody calling for help," HFD spokesman Herman Gonzales said. "They figured out which window he was calling from; one of the firefighters gave him his mask to help him breathe."

Another crew got inside the house and pulled him out before the flames could get to him. He suffered some mild smoke inhalation.

It took the Houston Fire Department about 30 minutes to put out the blaze, which may have been started by a candle on the back porch.