A woman has been rescued from a flat in Sheffield after a cigarette caused a major property fire for the third time in a week.

A passer by raised the alarm after seeing smoke coming from the fourth floor flat at Exeter Place, William Street, Broomhall at 1.44pm today (Saturday March 13).

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus from Central fire station broke down the front door of the flat, where they found a woman in her 70s unconscious in her living room.

Firefighters carried the casualty out of the property and quickly put out the fire. The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The fire is believed to have started accidentally due to carelessly extinguished smoking materials. Firefighters left the scene at 2.58pm.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue District Manager Dick Hutton said: “ This is a very lucky escape. I have no doubt that were it not for the swift actions of the passer by who raised the alarm, our Control staff and our firefighters on the scene, this woman would have been killed.

“I am delighted the woman has been saved, but this is tempered with disappointment at yet another smoking related fire. Coming within days of National No Smoking Day, I want to remind the public once again to be careful with all sources of ignition and in particular cigarettes, which are the single biggest cause of deaths in accidental house fires in South Yorkshire.”