PRAISE was today paid to the stand-in fire crews who rescued a man from a terrace house blaze in Ipswich.Alert neighbours raised the alarm after they heard a fire alarm sounding at the house next door and they could smell a strong whiff of smoke.

PRAISE was today paid to the stand-in fire crews who rescued a man from a terrace house blaze in Ipswich.

Alert neighbours raised the alarm after they heard a fire alarm sounding at the house next door and they could smell a strong whiff of smoke.

RAF firefighters, based at Yarmouth Road, attended the fire in Sidar Road and had to break the glass of the front door and rescued one man who is believed to have fallen asleep on the sofa in his front room.

The man was taken to Ipswich hospital by ambulance suffering with smoke inhalation.

Fire broke out after a gas fire in the downstairs front room caught alight at shortly before 4.45am today.

Roy Dunlop, who was rescued by firefighters, said: "They were absolutely fantastic and I would like to thank them for everything they did – they were great.

"I am very glad they got here so quickly."

Mr Dunlop who was released by the hospital at just before 8am.

He said: "Staff checked me over and have given me the all clear.

"I'm absolutely fine thanks – I just suffered a bit of smoke inhalation," he said.

Neighbour Lynsey Gray, 27, who raised the alarm with her husband, said: "We could smell smoke and the fire alarm was sounding.

"Thankfully the crews got here very quickly. They had to break-in and rescue my neighbour who I believe was asleep."

One Red Goddess and one Breathing Apparatus Rescue Team (BART) attended the fire during what was otherwise a relatively quiet night for the military stand-ins.

* For the fire strike latest see p6