A 94-year-old woman had a 'lucky escape' when a blaze tore through her house in the early hours of the morning.

Frances Chase had to be rescued by firefighters from her home in Little Massingham, near King's Lynn, at about 4am yesterday.

The smoke alarm, which is connected to her careline, was triggered and the emergency services were called.

Neil Richardson, fire station manager at King's Lynn, said: 'Four fire appliances and the aerial ladder platform attended.

'On arrival, an elderly lady was found downstairs. The fire crews were able to walk her out of the property.

'The fire had started in the loft/first floor. A smoke alarm raised the alarm to the careline which called 999.

'The lady was checked over by paramedics from the ambulance crew but she was fine and did not need to go to hospital.'

Mrs Chase's son, Nigel Chase, 66, said his mother had a 'lucky escape'.

'If the alarm had not gone off I don't know what would have happened,' he said.

Neighbours in Little Massingham said they were woken by the arrival of emergency services.

Fire crews from Massingham, King's Lynn North and South and Sandringham were called to the house.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage to the property is not yet known.