Woman rescued from fire in Belfast

A woman was rescued today from a suspicious fire at a block of flats.

She was treated for smoke inhalation after being led to safety from her apartment at Queen Victoria Gardens in the Fortwilliam district of north Belfast.

Fire crews were called out to the blaze in an empty property below her second floor apartment at about 12.45am.

Assistant Group Commander Graham Lowry said a neighbour had made a daring attempt to put out the flames.

He said: “He was alerted by thick black smoke coming out of this flat. There were no working smoke alarms in the area. So it was fortunate he had noticed the smoke.

“He went into the flat and tried to extinguish the fire himself using a bucket of water. But he was beaten back by thick, heavy black smoke. He then went to his own flat, removed his two children and took them to safety and called the Fire Service.”