TRAFFIC was stopped when fire ripped through a a house in North Yorkshire yesterday.

The house on Long Street in Thirsk was left severely damaged by the blaze, which broke out early in the afternoon.

And an elderly man was reportedly rescued from the house shortly before fire appliances arrived at the scene.

Fire crews from Thirsk, Northallerton and Ripon originally rushed to the scene and used two hose reels and four sets of breathing apparatus to tackle the flames, which were centred on the ground floor.

Further resources were called for and more crews from from Ripon and Boroughbridge were sent. An aerial ladder from Huntington was also sent to the scene.

Eye witness Stephen Knowlson, from Thirsk, said he saw flames coming out of the ground floor window and smoke billowing out from a first floor window and the roof.

He then saw people from a car wash across the road carrying an elderly man out of the house, just as the fire engines were arriving.

The fire was out by around 2.37pm but crews remained to damp down as an investigation into the cause was launched.