AN ELDERLY woman was rescued by firefighters after a blaze at a seafront block of flats in Teignmouth last night.

The 86-year-old resident was carried down two flights of stairs as a dozen other occupants quit smoke-filled Clifton House on The Den at 7pm.

A thermal imaging camera was used to locate the source of the fire in the roof space of a lift shaft.

The pensioner, in a confused state, was unaware of the drama unfolding around her when firefighters had to force entry to her flat to get her away from danger.

She was treated by paramedics outside for the effects of smoke inhalation. She did not need to go to hospital.

Firefighters admitted the outcome might not have been so good if her presence in the flat had not been known.

Fire alarms at the premises burst into life just before 7pm - a deafening din not heard by the casualty.

Thick, acrid smoke from the lift shaft quickly snaked its way through corridors and other public areas in the flats complex.

Three crews - two from the town and one from Dawlish - responded to the 999 shout.

Teignmouth Station manager Ian Radford said afterwards: ‘The elderly resident was very lucky. It could have been a lot more serious if it had not been realised where she was. It was all a bit much for her.’

He said the fire had been difficult to locate in the lift shaft - but a thermal imaging camera had quickly identified the source.

It’s thought an electrical fault in the system was to blame for the incident.

Residents were allowed back into their homes some two hours later once a fan had been used to clear smoke.

Four set of breathing gear were worn by firefighters to deal with the drama.