Blaze woman is pulled to safety.

Byline: By Sonia Sharma

Firemen pulled an unconscious woman from her blaze-hit home today with seconds to spare

They fought their way into the smoke-logged house in Ulverstone Terrace, Walker, Newcastle, at around 6am where they found the woman slumped upstairs.

Crews from Fossway and Wallsend stations were called to the scene after a phone call from the house and broke through the front door.

Two firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, pulled the woman, believed to be in her 40s, from the house.

She was given oxygen on the scene by paramedics and then taken to Newcastle General Hospital, where she is recovering.

Arsonists are being blamed for the blaze.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "At about 5.45am my husband heard something on the street and we saw an ambulance.

"We also saw two fire engines on the road but we don't know what was going on. We were all still in bed."

Police were today investigating the cause of the blaze, which they confirmed was being treated as suspicious.

The fire is believed to have started behind her front door in the hallway. Station officer Carl Latimer of Fossway fire station said: "We got a phone call from the house but we don't know who it was.

"There was also a smoke alarm in the property which may have alerted the woman to the fire.

"About 16 firefighters went there and two men went in to find her. The property was quite smoke-logged and the woman was unconscious.

"They carried her out and she was attended to by paramedics and taken to hospital. She was still unconscious when she was taken away.

"It was lucky that we got there on time, and managed to find her.

"We do not know how the fire started but we are working with the police to try to find out the cause."

Another neighbour who lives a few houses down, said: "We did not see anything happen but we know that a woman lived there who has three children. She is about 40-years-old and sometimes her daughter who is about 18 comes to stay with her."

Today people in the street were trying to piece together events of the morning.

Two officers continued with their investigations at the house.

Police officers were on the scene outside the house, as detectives continuing their investigations.