AN elderly woman is fighting for her life after being rescued from her flat which caught fire this morning.

Fire crews had to break down the door to the flat of a 79-year-old woman, at Presto Gardens, Bolton. It was filled with smoke due to an electrical fire at 1am.

The woman was found sat on a her sofa in the middle of a smoke filled room, before crews rescued her from the building.

The woman is understood to have problems with mobility, and had inhaled a large amount of "thick black smoke" before fire crews could get to her.

One resident, Sylvia Clark, said: "I was over at her flat last night and I left at about 10 minute to eight, and everything was switched off.

"The next thing we know there was smoke and fire engines."

Another resident, Brent Davis, added: "I tried to get in to the house as I could hear the alarm going off.

"There were four fire men running at the door with a big red ram. It was quite a dramatic scene.

"They had her laid out on the floor for about 10 minutes while the fire brigade performed CPR, trying to keep her alive until the ambulance came."

The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in an electrical console in the woman's airing cupboard.

Flames engulfed the cupboard, burning wire and plastic, as well as towels and other items that had been stored there, filling the flat with smoke.

The incident occurred at around 1am this morning and was attended by two fire crews from Bolton Central and one from Bolton North who arrived within minutes.

Ian Read, Bolton Central Fire Service watch manager said: "The fire was quite bad. The fire did not spread, but because there were towels and blankets in the cupboard, the electric overheated and set fire.

"Because there was plastic, cabling and towels it did end up being quite a severe fire.

"We broke in the door down and got her out of the flat. She was in a bad way when we brought her round.

"She was unconscious and shallow breathing when we found her, because she had breathed in a lot of thick black smoke — there was a lot of smoke in the flat when we got there.

"An ambulance came and took her to hospital.

"The flat was badly smoke damaged and she won't be going back to the flat."

Fire crews said were hoping to check on the woman's condition later this morning.

A Spokesman from North West Ambulance Service said: "We were called to reports of a fire. We sent a rapid response and an ambulance to the scene and the woman was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital."