Firefighters won praise today after saving properties next to a York house that was gutted by fire.

Evening Press reader David Leon captured these pictures of the flaming roof of the house (above), and firefighters battling the blaze, right, at the home in Aldborough Way, York

The house, in Cinder Mews, Aldborough Way, Clifton, lost its roof in the blaze, which Terry Glover, spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said was started by an electrical fault in a burglar alarm.

Luckily, Colin Pryor, the owner of the house, was not at home at the time of the blaze.

But neighbours say it was the quick action of the fire brigade, from Acomb, that saved their properties from the fire.

Pamela Excell lives in the adjoining semi-detached house, which also suffered minor damage to the roof and its electrical wiring.

She said: "The fire brigade was marvellous. People run these services into the ground, but they were marvellous.

"I heard lots of banging next door and I just naturally got up and dressed. I saw the flames out of the patio door and was about to call the fire brigade when someone rang my doorbell to get me out."

Her daughter, Patricia, who lives a few doors down the street from her mother, said: "If it hadn't been for the fire brigade, I don't think she would have been standing here. They were so quick. There are a lot of ifs in life but if the wind had been strong my mother's house would have been just as bad."

David Leon, who lives opposite the gutted house, said that he was awoken by the sound of three fire engines arriving.

He said: "I think the firemen did really well to save the other two houses there - they did a really good job. I saw the fire from my bedroom window and it was really quite shocking. It's not the sort of thing you expect to see."

The fire, which broke out at 5.30am yesterday, took nearly an hour to be brought under control by three fire appliances.

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