A RESIDENT in Oxford saved their neighbours' houses from burning down by calling 999 when they spotted a fire in a shed.

Crews at Rewley Road and Slade Road stations in the city got the call reporting the blaze on Thursday morning.

They said when they got to the house the fire was already 'quite large' and added worryingly: "The flames had started to reach the adjacent properties."

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Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus started tackling the blaze using high-pressure hoses and said they were able to put it out just in time.

They then used a high-pressure fan to start clearing the smoke out of the house.

Taking to Facebook yesterday, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Services said: "Luckily everyone had managed to get out of the houses and were okay.

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"What made a big difference was an early call from a neighbour: this was still a significant fire, but could have been a lot worse."

They went on: "Get out, stay out and call the fire service out (in this case very quickly!)

"That and having working and tested smoke alarms save lives and reduces fire damage.

"More advice on how to keep safe can be found here. www.365alive.co.uk/athome"