Firefighters saved the life of a man when they rescued him from a Ipswich house blaze without wearing breathing apparatus.

Ipswich Star: Emergency services at the scene of a fire in Grimwade Street, Ipswich.Emergency services at the scene of a fire in Grimwade Street, Ipswich.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service received a call from a “confused” man with the sound of a fire alarm in the background at around 4.10pm reporting that there was a blaze at a property in Grimwade Street.

The first fire crew on the scene found a man was laying on the sofa and asking for help.

Two firefighters entered the property without breathing apparatus and carried him out of the home and to the care of paramedics.

The man was conscious and breathing and was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene before being taken to Ipswich Hospital by ambulance in a non-life-threatening condition, an East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said.

Station commander Richard Wood said the fire was located in the kitchen and was extinguished within 10 minutes but the property was heavily smoke logged.

Mr Wood said the fire was not being treated as suspicious and was thought to be an accident.

Speaking at the scene, Mr Wood said: “We received a call from a confused caller and initially a pump was dispatched and a rescue was made when they realised there was someone in the house. He was laying on the sofa and asking for help.

“Information from the control room was that it was a confused call to Grimwade Street and after further questioning they could hear the alarm going off in the background but they couldn’t raise the caller again.”

The ambulance service received a call at 4.21pm and sent a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crew to the scene.

Police also attended to control traffic.