FIREFIGHTERS rescued a man from a house fire this morning after his neighbours called 999 upon hearing his smoke alarm.

Three crews from Chatteris, Manea and Sutton were called to the blaze in Dock Road, Chatteris at 3.45am.

The emergency services had been contacted by the man’s neighbours who heard the smoke alarm before witnessing smoke coming from the property.

Firefighters, in breathing apparatus, entered the rear of the house and assisted one male from the property.

He was suffering from smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by paramedics.

The cause of the fire is believed to have been a dropped cigarette.

Mick Jackman, station commander for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This incident demonstrates why you should never smoke late at night when you are tired or drunk, as it is very easy to fall asleep and drop a cigarette, starting a fire.

“A fire started by a dropped cigarette is more likely to injure you as it starts so close by, and it only takes a small amount of toxic smoke to render you unconscious.

“This incident could have been a lot worse if not for the working smoke alarm which alerted neighbours to the fire and allowed firefighters to rescue the casualty before it was too late.”

Crews used hose reels to extinguish the blaze and returned to their stations by 4.50am.