TWO young women trapped by a blaze in a Newport house were rescued by firefighters early today.

Emergency services were alerted to the fire in Royal Oak Drive in the early hours of this morning.

The pair, who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom, were given survival guidance by the control operator as they waited for firefighters to arrive.

Using breathing apparatus and a hose reel, the crews from Maindee and Malpas quickly brought the ground floor fire under control and rescued the women aged 19 and 21. The were treated for smoke inhalation at the city's Royal Gwent Hospital.

Station officer Steve Tottle said the smoke alarms had no batteries and if they had been working would have given the women more chance to escape.

"Had it not been for the professionalism of the fire control operator and the firefighters involved there could have been a potential loss of life," he added

Station officer Tottle the fire was probably caused by careless disposal of smoking materials.