A QUICK-THINKING police officer has been hailed as a hero after rescuing two people in their 60s from their smoke-filled house in York.

North Yorkshire Police said the officer was first on the scene after a tumble dryer started a blaze in the garage of a property in Huntington Road on Sunday evening.

A force spokesperson said that the garage was well alight and that smoke was quickly filling the whole building when the force was contacted at about 10.35 pm.

They said the officer bravely entered the house and assisted a 64-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman to escape to safety from the living room.

“She suffered from smoke inhalation and attended York Hospital for treatment,” they said.

“The man and woman from the house were also checked over at the hospital.”

They said that the “brave and quick-thinking” actions of the police officer helped to ensure that the incident did not have a tragic outcome.

“The officer is a credit to North Yorkshire Police and she can be very proud that she has helped to save the lives of the home owners,” they added.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said that shortly before 11pm, fire crews from Huntington and Acomb responded to reports of the house fire in Huntington Road, York.

A spokeswoman said that on their arrival, they found the garage of a house was well alight and had spread to the house, and a further two appliances were requested, which were sent from York and Huntington.

She said two people were rescued from the property by a police officer prior to the arrival of the fire brigade, and they were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation, and the fire was tackled by crews with two hosereels.

She said that the blaze caused severe fire damage to the garage and kitchen and smoke damage to the rest of the property.

The fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in a tumble dryer in the garage.

Meanwhile, Humberside firefighters went to a fire in Beverley which started when a milk carton was left on a cooker hob.