A WOMAN had a “very lucky escape” from a house fire in Selby after being rescued by firefighters.

The fire, at a property in Coupland Road, was believed to have started after a griddle pan was left unattended on a cooker in the early hours of yesterday.

A woman, in her twenties, is understood to have fallen asleep upstairs in the semi-detached house, which did not have a smoke alarm.

As the house became logged with smoke, which drifted through the open bedroom window of the adjacent house, a neighbour realised something was wrong and raised the alarm soon after 4am.

Two firemen rescued the woman from a first-floor bedroom, said a fire service spokesman.

She is understood to have suffered smoke inhalation.

Selby station manager Colin Hunter said: “If there’s a fire and you are asleep upstairs and the property is smokelogged, it is a lucky escape to get out.

“Smoke often kills people before fire does. The more smoke you breathe in, the less likely you are to wake up.

“It’s a very lucky escape. This highlights the importance of having a working smoke alarm fitted in the right places and making sure they are tested and they work.”

To get smoke alarms fitted in your home in Selby free of charge, and for a home risk assessment, phonde Selby fire station on 01757 702453.