Fire crews rescued an 86-year-old man trapped in a house on fire this morning near Lowestoft.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service was called to a home in Mill Road, Mutford, at about 6.10am.

Extra firefighters were sent when there were reports a man was still in the property.

He was rescued by around 6.30am. Hose reel jets and a covering jet were used to extinguish the fire which was out by 7.15am.

A spokesman for the East of Ambulance Service said the man was in a “critical condition” at the James Paget Hospital.

“The fire crews got him out of the house and did CPR on him,” he added.

“By the time our first paramedic got to the scene they had managed to get a pulse going.”

A rapid response vehicle, an ambulance, ambulance officer and doctor were all sent to the scene. A volunteer critical care paramedic (CCP) was also sent from the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS).

A SARS spokesman said: “The volunteer SARS CCP worked with an ambulance crew from the Waveney station to help treat a male patient in his eighties who had suffered serious smoke inhalation after a house fire.”

A spokesman for the fire service said: “The man was awoken at around 6am and his investigations into the fire caused him to be overcome by smoke.

“A neighbour raised the alarm and fire crews found him unconscious and unresponsive just inside a final exit door. After rescue our crews administered CPR and monitored his condition with a defibrillator, managing to re-establish a heartbeat and bring him back to consciousness. Oxygen therapy was given until ambulance attendance and his outlook is promising.”

The firefighters who performed the CPR had received special trauma training.

One of the crew is also an ambulance technician whose knowledge and skills “undoubtedly contributed to the outcome”.

Colin Spence, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for public protection said: “This is a fantastic example of the fire service’s response prevention activities and shows the benefits of collaborative working as our bluelight services came together to render assistance at a moment of crisis.

“My thoughts are with the elderly gentlemen who I hope makes a speedy recovery. I would also want to thank his quick thinking neighbour whose action of calling the services allowed for a loss of life to be prevented at the scene.”