Three fire crews attended the scene of the blaze

AN ELDERLY woman was taken to hospital after a flat blaze in the early hours of today.

The fire broke out at the first-floor flat in Ulster Avenue in Whitehouse at about 4.20am.

Two crews from Princes Street fire station were sent to the scene.

On arrival the firefighters called for assistance from another crew from Ipswich East.

They discovered the flat was heavily smoke logged.

They had the blaze under control by about 5am using breathing equipment and hose reel jets.

A spokesman for the fire brigade said the elderly woman was suffering from smoke inhalation.

He said the flat immediately below that affected by the fire was damaged by water coming through the ceiling.