Quick-thinking teenagers were today hailed for their efforts in helping firefighters rescue a man from his burning home.

The teenagers were in a house in Stray Road, Burnholme, York, when they heard an alarm sounding just before 8pm yesterday.

Krystal Brown, 15 told how she and a friend, Rebecca Dixon and her younger brother, Kurtis, rushed round to an annexe adjoining their property where they discovered their lodger lying unconscious on a bed inside and fumes filling the room.

Krystal said "I heard a buzzing and I didn't think anything about it. I thought it must be an alarm clock. Kurtis went round to the back door. When I opened the door I saw the man unconscious and I saw the fuming oven".

Kurtis then opened the door and Krystal called 999.

Firefighters were quickly on the scene and managed to pull the unconscious lodger out of the annexe.

Krystal's mother, Sharron, said firefighters had later told her that her daughter's actions on leaving the annexe door open had probably saved the lodger's life.

Sharron said "I'm very proud of her. She saved his life.

"If she hadn't acted so quickly, the chief fire officer said he would have died from smoke inhalation.

"It is not very often in people's lifetimes that you get to save a life."

The lodger, identified only as Paul, is 36, and works for a Pocklington printing firm.

He was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but was not taken to hospital. Firefighters said the teenagers were being nominated for an award for their actions.

A spokesman said: "They did very well with their quick thinking. They heard the alarm going off. They realised it was coming from next door. They did the right thing because they didn't go in and try to take him out."

He said the fire, which caused 50 per cent fire and heat damage to the oven and work surface in the annexe, had been caused by food left unattended in the oven.

He said: "It appeared Paul had been asleep on the bed when fire broke out."

Updated: 08:20 Tuesday, September 20, 2005