A New Westminster, B.C., man is being called a hero after rescuing a woman from the balcony of a burning home early Sunday morning.

David Francoeur, who lives across the alley from the home in the 900 block of Fourth Street, was working on his car just after 3 a.m. PT when he heard the fire burning.

After calling 911, he ran to help and found a woman trying to go back inside the home to save her pets. Francouer grabbed a ladder and convinced the woman to get out as the flames quickly spread.

"She was on the deck right by the door, it's where the fire was, the house was engulfed in fire," he said.

"I guess she was trying to go back inside the house, so when I went up I had to kind of physically drag her because she didn't want to leave."

The woman suffered from smoke inhalation.

'Our neighbourhood hero'

Francoeur also helped two other residents on the main floor get out of the burning building safely.

Fire officials and neighbours are hailing Francouer as a hero.

One woman suffered smoke inhalation, but everyone inside the home escaped safely. (CBC)

"[He's] our neighbourhood hero ... it was a very brave thing to do," one local resident told CBC News.

But Francoeur dismisses the praise, saying he just reacted the way anyone would.

"I think it's — I won't say overkill, but just about," he said. "I think anybody would do the same thing."