A WOMAN living in a first floor flat had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped by a blaze raging outside her front door.

Crews from the Essex County Fire & Rescue Service rushed to the property in Willow Walk, Tiptree, just before 9.30pm on Saturday. 

The worried resident remained in contact with the control operator, who kept her calm and gave her advice on how to stay safe until the firefighters arrived. 

Once at the scene, the crews - from Tiptree, Colchester, and Coggeshall - rescued the stranded woman via a bedroom window using a ladder.

After she was brought to safety she was left in the care of paramedics, while residents living the building’s other flat were evacuated via the stairs. 

The fire, which had started in a storage cupboard on the communal landing, was extinguished by 10pm. 

The cause of the fire is currently unknown but an investigation is underway. 

The cupboard suffered some fire damage as a result of the incident.