Fire fighters battle a large house fire in North York. Several nearby homes were evacuated for safety.

Photo courtesy of: Gaetano Romano

A fire fighter battles sprays water on the charred roof of a North York home.

Photo courtesy of: Gaetano Romano

Fire crews were forced to evacuate several homes on a North York street after a fire broke out at a home there early Saturday morning.

The fire started around midnight in the basement of a house on Esterbrooke Avenue, near Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue East, and spread to the roof.

“We grabbed children, grabbed immediate belongings. I grabbed my wallet, my contact lenses and cell phone and ran out the door,” resident Daisy Ranger said.

“[There was] a gentleman waiting at the door going, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go. There’s a fire two doors down from you.’ The house was full of smoke – there’s fire trucks everywhere.”

Firefighters were still putting out hot spots several hours later.

There are unconfirmed reports the fire might have started in a clothes dryer.