AN elderly woman was rescued from a burning home by firefighters this morning.

The alarm was raised at the house in Lansdown Close, Banbury, at 4am.

One man managed to escape the blaze, which started in the kitchen, and a woman was rescued from the house by a neighbour using a ladder.

But when firefighters arrived another resident, an elderly woman, was trapped.

Incident Commander Danny Hicks said: "Crews wearing breathing apparatus quickly located the lady in an upstairs bedroom and brought her out of the property and in to the care of South Central Ambulance Service."

He added: "I dread to think of the outcome of this incident had it not been for the house having working smoke alarms.

"These provided early detection and alerted the home owners of the fire in their kitchen. This is a clear reminder to everyone of the importance of working, suitable smoke alarms in homes, and we urge people to check theirs once a week."

The fire had started in a dishwasher in the kitchen, and the three residents were taken to the Horton General Hospital with smoke inhalation.