A WOMAN was pulled to safety after she tried to tackle a house fire.

The 88-year-old grandmother was sleeping in her sitting room at the back of her three-storey town house in Madeira Road, Holland-on-Sea, at about 1pm on Sunday when she knocked over some candles.

The flames set fire to her curtains.

She tried to extinguish the blaze herself before two passers-by kicked in her door and pulled her to safety from the burning building.

Neighbours said she appeared from the house covered in thick black smoke.

The woman was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken by ambulance to hospital.

Firefighters from Clacton Fire Station extinguished the blaze within half an hour.

Adrian Wallis, sub officer, said the elderly woman was lucky to be alive.

He said: “It was a very extensive fire to the lounge.

“When we arrived there was lots of smoke.

“The back window and first floor windows were out and there were lots of flames coming out of the back of the building.”

The woman will stay with relatives as the fire has left her house unihabitable.

The flames caused extensive damage to the first floor of the house and smoke damage throughout the property.