THE mother of a family saved from a burning house by members of the Woodrow community has expressed her heartfelt thanks to her heroic rescuers.

Tracey Houghton, 43, along with two of her children and one of their friends were pulled out of their blazing house on Cropthorne Close by neighbours after they saw black smoke pluming out.

"I can't even describe how scared I was," said Ms Houghton.

"Until you've experienced something like that you can't describe it. I'm still terrified when I speak about it now."

Ms Houghton was asleep at about 8.30am on Sunday, September 16 when her 13-year-old son Stefan went downstairs to watch television.

He saw flames and ran upstairs screaming for help.

"Stefan is autistic and does exaggerate sometimes so I went down to check for myself.

"When I went into the conservatory the flames were just in the corner but within seconds they had shot up."

She went back upstairs to get the children and ring the fire brigade but the whole house was now completely black with smoke.

It was about that time that neighbour Ross Watkins saw the smoke from his house and ran out to help.

"My first thoughts were that it was really early in the morning and that people are going to be asleep.

"I heard screaming and a big muscular guy was throwing up because he had tried to get in but was overcome by the smoke," she said.

"I kept calm and told the woman in there to get the kids to the front of the house. They started to come out of the window and I lifted them off of the porch."

Other neighbours, including John Young, helped get them out and Simon Guy, from nearby Bushley Close, came with a ladder, helping everyone get out of the house safely before the fire service arrived.

"I'm proud of everyone around me," said Mr Watkins.

"It wasn't just a one man effort, the amount of people who helped was really heartwarming and there was a real community spirit among people who didn't even know each other.

"It makes you want to smile at people you see on the street rather than avoid making eye contact."

Ms Houghton and the children were taken to the Alexandra Hospital for check-ups and treated for smoke inhalation.

"I still have a cough now but I'm grateful it's only a cough and that the children are safe.

"The community spirit was amazing and I can't believe how much everyone pulled together.

"I can't thank Ross and the others enough for what they did."