FIREFIGHTERS rescued a family after fire tore through their home.

The parents and three children, aged six, four and two, are lucky to be alive after breathing in smoke.

They were taken to the University Hospital of North Durham suffering from smoke inhalation after the blaze at their home in Bessemer Street, Blackhill, Consett, County Durham.

Two crews from Consett and one from High Handenhold were called out shortly after 11.30pm on Sunday.

Consett crew manager Trevor Hodgson said the mother and children were trapped in a bedroom.

He said: "When we arrived, smoke was coming out the front and back and we could see children at a front bedroom window.

"We smashed our way in the front door with a crew wearing breathing apparatus, and put a ladder up to the bedroom window, broke the window and rescued two of the children, a boy aged six, and a girl aged four, and their mother."

He said the youngest child, who was in the parents' bedroom, was rescued by another crew.

All four were covered in soot.

The father stumbled out of the back of the house, also coughing and spluttering from the smoke.

Mr Hodgson said: "The mother was quite hysterical at the time, which was quite understandable."

Mr Hodgson praised the crews for their actions and said the family was lucky to be alive.

He said: "The house had smoke alarms fitted and they activated, alerting the family to the fire.

"The smoke was very thick and the whole family could have died, but for the actions of the crew and the smoke alarms."