An 80-year-old man was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after neighbors helped him escape from his burning apartment in Pearl City.

He was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition and treated for smoke inhalation, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city's emergency services department

The man was sitting in his fourth-floor apartment at 950 Lehua Ave. on Saturday when the room started to fill with smoke, Honolulu fire Capt. Robert Main said.

Neighbors helped him get out of the apartment and used emergency equipment stored in the hallways to stifle the fire, Main said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire five minutes after they arrived, Main said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation but damage amounted to $60,000, Main said.