AN elderly woman was rescued from her home during the early hours after a faulty fridge freezer sparked a kitchen fire.

The 79-year-old called firefighters to her home, in Clifton Road, Prestwich at about 2.15am.

She was asleep in an upstairs bedroom when her smoke alarms went off she and became aware there was a fire in the house.

After calling 999 a call operator told her to stay in her room and await the emergency services.

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus to enter the house and rescue the woman from her room.

She had suffered some smoke inhalation and after being given oxygen at the scene was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

Watch manager Karl Gibbons said the woman was 'calm' following the incident.

He said: "The alarm was raised by the smoke alarms in the house, which gave her an early warning.

"She couldn't get downstairs because of the smoke. She stayed in the bedroom on the phone to our control room and followed their instructions which kept her safe while we dealt with the fire and rescued her."

Mr Gibbons added that the incident was a good example of the importance of smoke alarms.

He said: "If she didn't have smoke alarms it could've been a lot worse.

"At this time of year particularly we recommend people check their smoke alarms."

The fire is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault with the fridge freezer.

Anyone who would like to have smoke alarms fitted at their house can call 0800 555 815 to arrange a safety and welfare visit from the fire service.