Pensioner Les Reed says he owes his life to the quick reactions of his neighbours who hammered on his front door and windows to warn him of a fire engulfing his home.
Les, 68, had nodded off in his chair in the sitting room of the property in Calvert Terrace, Murton, County Durham, around 4pm on Friday when their banging roused him from his sleep.
"It was thanks to the neighbours I managed to get out just in time," said Les. "If they hadn't woken me up, I might not be here today. It was a close one.
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"The fire had got so near to me I later found there was soot from the smoke in my left ear. I'm still a bit numb and in shock by it all."
He revealed that his neighbours had also used garden hoses to try and dampen the fire and keep it at bay before the fire brigade arrived. But even that has failed to save his possessions.
"I've lost everything - I'm a bit of a hoarder and do arts and crafts as I like making things. I kept all the stuff in bags and that's gone up in smoke."
The cause of the fire is being investigated, however Les said the fire brigade suspect it was a freezer he stored under the stairs. "It was a secondary one and it was getting on a bit. It was second hand when I got it. Maybe the capacitor or the motor went."
The Housing Association property he lived in has been boarded up and Les is now staying with family in North Shields. Meanwhile his nephew, Ken Grainger, who lives in Trimdon, County Durham, has a launched a JustGiving page to help his uncle.
Ken said: "It's a relief he's still here and it's thanks to his neighbours - there's a close community spirit there which has saved him.
"While he's glad to have survived it, my uncle's lost everything. It's either been destroyed or fire damaged beyond repair. He isn't working at the moment because of cataracts - he's been waiting a year for an operation."
Ken, 40, has set a £500 target for the JustGiving page to help Les pay for essentials he lost in the blaze. He wrote on the site: "I’d really love to just help him get set up again with the basics.
"No amount of money will be able to replace the items of sentimental value lost or help with the pain associated with their loss.
"I’m really just talking about furniture, kitchen stuff, maybe a new freezer which doesn’t explode at the drop of a hat! I know times are tough for everyone these days but please help if you can."
* If you'd like to like to help Les, go to: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/housefiressuck
