A 92-YEAR-OLD woman was rescued from a fire in a sheltered housing flat when a neighbour heard the smoke alarm.

An upstairs neighbour at Riverside Gardens, Witney, called Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service after hearing the alarm yesterday at about 3.15pm.

Two fire crews from Witney attended the scene and were able to open the front door without having to force it, a fire and rescue spokesman said.

They found the elderly woman still inside the flat, which was heavily smoke logged, and they helped her out of the building.

She was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by the ambulance service.

The cause of the fire is believed to be an electrical item.

Incident commander crew manager Glen Lee said: “Had the occupier not had a working smoke alarm which alerted the neighbour the outcome could have been a lot worse.

“The incident again highlights the need to ensure you have a working smoke alarm on each level of your house, as it will give an immediate warning of a fire and allow you to escape before the fire grows.

“You should have a fire plan so everyone in your household knows what to do when a smoke detector goes off.”