A man was taken to hospital following a fire in his Glenrothes flat.
A neighbour spotted smoke coming from his home in Heriot Court on Thursday evening and raised the alarm.
Before firefighters arrived, she pounded on the victim’s door, in vain, trying to alert him to the danger.
Police officers had to batter his door in to gain access for the emergency services.
Two fire engines, an ambulance and police cars swooped on the street in the town’s Macedonia area when they were alerted to the blaze at around 8.50pm.
Neighbours said there had been a fire before in the end-terrace property.
One said: “It is the second time this has happened.
“One of the neighbours was banging on his door trying to get him out.
“She saw the smoke and it was her that called the fire brigade.
“The police came and knocked his door in and there was a joiner there later boarding it up.”
He said emergency services were in the street until around 11pm.
It is understood the man was not badly hurt.
There was no answer at his home on Friday morning.
Other than the broken door, there was no sign of external damage to the property.
A police spokesman confirmed that the force was called out at 8.50pm after a report of a smoke alarm sounding.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that the fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the call-out.
