A WOMAN was carried to safety from her burning York home after firefighters smashed their way in and found her unconscious in an upstairs bedroom.

Fire crews from York's Clifford Street station used a sledgehammer to break down the locked front door of the woman's home, in Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall.

Then, using breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera, they fought their way upstairs through thick black smoke to rescue the woman.

They used a hose reel to put the fire out.

It is believed the woman had fallen asleep while candles were alight in her bathroom, which eventually ignited a plastic sink and vanity unit.

A member of the public dialled 999 after seeing flames through upstairs windows. The woman was taken to York Hospital by ambulance. Her name has not been released and no details were available about her injuries.

At the scene, Station Officer Jane Proud said a more serious situation was prevented by water from the dripping taps containing the fire.

The bathroom was badly damaged and the rest of the house was badly smoke damaged, she said.

The house was today boarded up following the fire, which occurred on Saturday night. A North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said it had suffered 30 per cent fire, 20 per cent heat and 40 per cent smoke damage.

Neighbours were shocked by the incident.

One, who asked not to be named, said: "I don't really know her, no one does, she does tend to keep herself to herself, but when you see her in the street she always smiles and seems friendly.

"It is just awful, I really hope she is all right in the end. I saw all the flashing lights through my window and wondered what was going on, I had no idea it was anything like this."

Station Officer Mal Austwick reminded anyone using candles not to leave them unattended.

He said: "Keep an eye on them and when putting them out, make sure they are out.

"With respect to the popular tea light type of candle, they should always be used in a holder.

"Frequently they are allowed to burn standing as they are, but the small metal container can get very hot, which can be dangerous."

Updated: 12:59 Monday, December 30, 2002