SAN ANTONIO -- A family safely escaped their burning home Sunday night on the city's northwest side.

Neighbors alerted the family to the fire by knocking on their front door in the 8300 block of Cactus Creek.

The fire happened moments after the family started a fire in their fireplace.

According to Deborah Foster of the San Antonio Fire Department, the fire may have been sparked by an ember from a fireplace.

Foster said that residents should make sure that their fireplace is maintained.

"If you're going to use it for the first time, of course make sure the flue is empty. Has it been serviced for the year?" Foster said. "We would like for those people to start thinking about those things before they utilize that fireplace for the first time.

"Many times, all it takes is a stray ember to go up into the fireplace and if there's any creosote built up we can have a fire like this."

A damage estimate was not immediately available.