FIRE crews in Cornwall have rescued a casualty from a fire in St Austell after a blaze broke out in a flat early yesterday evening.

Appliances from St Austell and Mevagissey attended the incident which occurred at a flat at Bridge Court on Clifden Road in St Austell. 

Crews attended the address after a report came in of a fire alarm going off and, upon their arrival, discovered that a fire had broken out in one of the flats with a person still inside.

Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus gained entry to the property and were able to rescue the occupant and administer first aid until handing them over to the ambulance service. 

The cause of the incident was found to be a small fire on a cooker which firefighters were able to extinguish using a hosereel and a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. 

A spokesperson for Cornwall Fire and Rescue said: "One fire appliance from St Austell was mobilised to a report of a fire alarm actuating.

"The crew arrived three minutes after the time of call and quickly established that there was a fire in a flat and that an occupant was still inside.

"A request was made for two more fire appliances; the second fire appliance from St Austell and a fire appliance from Mevagissey were mobilised.

"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the flat and rescued the occupant, who was given first aid until the arrival of Ambulance.

"One hosereel and a carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguisher were used to extinguish a small fire on a cooker. Firefighters then ventilated the flat to clear the smoke."