Fargo townhome fire prevented from causing further damage by neighbor

(Fargo, ND) -- A townhome neighbor is credited with preventing further damage after authorities say he went into a burning kitchen with a fire extinguisher and partially put out the blaze.

The Fargo Fire Department says they were dispatched to 4724 47 St South for a report of a fire in a townhome early Sunday morning. After the home's occupants left safely, firefighters entered the building and extinguished a kitchen fire. 

Firefighters later learned a neighbor had entered the building with a fire extinguisher and attempted to put out the blaze himself. Authorities credit his actions to preventing further spread of the townhome fire. 

The Fire Department says the cause of the fire appears to be cooking oil that ignited and spread. Authorities estimate damage to the kitchen and building to be set at approximately $20,000