Two people were treated for smoke inhalation after three houses were evacuated following a fire caused by a hairdryer.
Residents from three homes in Danvers Road, off Narborough Road, in Leicester's West End, were cleared out as firefighters tackled the blaze.
The fire started at 5pm yesterday in a back bedroom on the first floor of a two-storey house.
Next-door neighbour Tamara Diaz told how she looked out of her window to see huge flames coming out of the adjoining property.
The 37-year-old said: "I was working in the back spare bedroom when I heard screams coming from next door.
"I looked out of the window and saw really big flames just licking out of the window inches from me.
"I just knew I had to get out there and then. As I walked down the stairs there was someone knocking on my door telling me to get out because of a fire."
Miss Diaz said when she got onto the street she saw one of the three men who live in the house being treated by paramedics.
She said: "He was on the pavement with his back to a wall. It looked like they were giving him oxygen. I think he had inhaled some smoke."
Resident Brian Penny, who lives a few doors from the house which was on fire, said he saw firefighters wearing breathing apparatus enter the house.
The 74-year-old pensioner said: "We had a look round the back and you could see the flames rushing out of the window.
"The flames were at least 6ft high. The fire was ferocious at first.
"I don't know might have been in that room but it was burning very fiercely at first.
"The firefighters got the thing under control. They did a pretty good job I have to say. The road was blocked off at both ends so they could got on with it.
"The chap who had been in the house was sitting on the pavement near my house and he looked in total shock."
A fire service spokesman said: "Two people were treated for a smoke inhalation at the scene but not taken to hospital.
"The cause of the fire was an overheated hairdryer."
The residents were allowed back into their houses at 6.45pm and the roadblock was lifted.
Nearly half of the first floor of the house was damaged in the fire.
