An elderly army veteran has been hailed a hero after saving his disabled neighbour’s life by dragging her out of a burning house.

John Pratt from Sandgate, near Folkestone, says he saw smoke billowing out of doors and windows of the home next door and knew right away he had to take action.

The 86-year-old, who has osteoarthritis, says when he noticed the building on Wellington Place was ablaze Friday morning, he did not have time to be afraid.

“Smoke was pouring out of her front door, and I could see her sitting in her wheelchair in the middle of the room on the phone to the fire brigade, with flames all around her,” said Mr Pratt.

“But I thought – there’s no use doing that – so I’m not sure how, because I’m not very steady on my feet, but I held my breath, went inside, and managed to tug her over the doorstep into the fresh air.

“Then I collapsed in a seat in the front garden.

“I wasn’t afraid, I couldn’t be afraid, I just knew I had to do something.

“My wife said I was an idiot, but I told her if it had been you, you would have done the same thing and I know she would.”

Emergency services were called to the blaze at the Sandgate cul-de-sac just before 9.50am on Friday.

Crews with four fire engines spent more than two hours battling to extinguish the flames.

"Our teams gave first aid to one person who was showing symptoms of smoke inhalation, before passing them into the care of paramedics," a fire service spokesman said.

"Our volunteer response team also attended and provided support for the affected resident."

Officials say the exact cause of the blaze is not yet known, but that it is "believed the fire started accidentally in the living room".

Firefighters on the scene told Mr Pratt that through his act of bravery had “undoubtedly” saved the life of his neighbour, who is believed to be in her 70s.

After rescuing her from the blaze, Mr Pratt, with the assistance of firefighters, took her into his kitchen where she received emergency medical treatment.

“The fire brigade were fantastic when they eventually arrived,” added Mr Pratt, who has lived in Sandgate since the 1970s.

“They told me I saved her life, if hadn’t have got her out she would have been a goner.

“But I knew I would never have forgiven myself if I had done nothing and let her burn.

“I don’t know how I did it, it must have been a burst of adrenaline.