A DISABLED woman had a lucky escape when she was rescued by firefighters after a fire broke out in her house.

Firefighters went to the house in Stock Lane, Ingatestone, at about 4.40am on Friday, after Careline alerted them to the fire.

When they arrived they found the living room completely smokelogged and the woman, aged in her early 60s, asleep in an armchair.

They broke in through the front door, dragged the woman out and gave her an oxygen mask.

Calvin Goody, station commander at Ingatestone, said the woman, who had mobility problems, could not have left the property without their help.

He said: “If it hadn’t been for the smoke alarm and if we had got there five minutes later, it could have been a different story.”

The fire is thought to have started by the woman’s cigarette catching fire on some towels.

Two crews from Ingatestone and one from Brentwood attended and dealt with the fire in about 20 minutes.

Joy Hale from the ambulance service said: “A manager and crew were dispatched to scene following reports of fire in a living room and occupants possibly trapped.

“Thankfully, however, the woman was out of the property and did not need taking to hospital.”