A WOMAN was rescued by firefighters from a flat filled with acrid smoke.

The woman, who is not being named, was semi-conscious, when she was discovered by two firefighters in the bedroom of her flat, in Holmefields Road, Eston, near Middlesbrough, Teesside.

After trying to put out the blaze, which started in a grill pan left on a cooker, the woman, thought to be aged about 50, struggled back to her bedroom and was overcome by the fumes filling her home.

Station Officer Steve Owens said: "She was shocked and confused. It could have been very serious if we had not got to her so quickly. The breathing apparatus team located her quickly and carried her out, giving her first aid and oxygen.

"It reiterates our message to people that if you discover a fire get out, call out the fire brigade - and stay out,'' said Mr Owens.

The woman was taken by ambulance to hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation.