Heroic pensioners in dramatic fire rescue

Two brave Dudley pensioners battled their way through heavy smoke to save their neighbour, who had passed out from smoke inhalation during a fire at her home.

The elderly woman, who had tried to put out the fire on her living room rug herself before being overcome by smoke, was given oxygen at the scene before being rushed to Russells Hall Hospital for further treatment. Emergency crews today said the rescue had been "very brave".

Firefighters from Dudley, Brierley Hill and Oldbury were called to Birmingham New Road, Dudley, at 10am yesterday after neighbours smelled smoke coming from the woman's house.

One man who lived nearby had a spare key to her front door, and when he and another male neighbour went in they found her unconscious in her living room.

They carried the woman outside and waited with her until fire crews arrived.

Watch commander Nick Lacey, from Brierley Hill Fire Station, said it appeared the woman had moved a coffee table in her home, bunching up a rug in front of her fire which then set alight.

"It was only a small fire but due to the nature of the rug it produced quite a lot of smoke," he said. "She was very lucky — her neighbours probably saved her life."

The two men were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but were otherwise unhurt, he added.