AN 83-YEAR-OLD woman was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and burns after a house fire in Westbury this morning.

Hilda Rolls was taken to the RUH after a blaze broke out at her house on Hawkeridge Park at 6.30am.

Two fire crews from Trowbridge, two from Warminster and one from Westbury, Melksham and Bath attended, along with a control unit from Devizes.

Guy Tadman, watch manager at Trowbridge Fire Station, said: “Initially three crews attended but this was made up to five pumps plus a hydraulic platform.

“We managed to keep the fire in the property of origin and stop it from spreading to other buildings however the top floor and the roof are completely destroyed.

“We think the fire may have been started by an electrical fault.”

Margaret Jackson, a neighbour, said: “The first we knew of the fire was someone who was walking their dog shouted and we saw smoke billowing out.

“Hilda came out covered in black and she was in shock and she had burns and her hair was singed.

“It’s a shock for all of us here and we are going to try and ring her later to see how she is.”

Natalie Burgess, another neighbour, added: “I was in the garden and I could see flames coming out of the window so I ran into the house to phone the fire brigade.

“I was definitely terrified and I’m surprised that the fire didn’t come across on to my house, I thought we had lost everything at one stage but the fire crews turned up so quick.

“There is only a bit of damage but my daughter was quite scared and worried about the dog.”