The resident was trapped, together with her dog, in her first-floor flat in Silchester Road, during the early hours of yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Firefighters saw the woman waving and shouting for help from her window.

Crews fought through thick smoke to reach the victim but others were able to rescue the lady using an aerial ladder platform.

Seven neighbours were evacuated during the blaze which started in the ground floor of the flat.

The disabled woman, believed to be in her 60s, was taken by ambulance to the Conquest Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Watch commander Dave Thurston said firefighters arrived at the scene at 2.50am.

He said: "When we arrived at the scene we saw the woman waving and shouting for help from her window.

"The fire was spreading very quickly.

"We rescued her and her dog from her window using an aerial ladder platform. She was suffering from smoke inhalation.

"Seven people were evacuated from the neighbouring properties.

"The flat was heavily smoke-logged on all the floors as the source of the fire was coming from the ground floor which was completely gutted.

"There were two seats to the fire in the ground floor bedroom, so police are investigating and are treating it as suspicious."

Mr Thurston praised fire control staff at Eastbourne who kept the woman talking on the phone until firefighters arrived.

He said, "Staff there gave her excellent fire survival advice and had it not been for their actions the situation could have been more serious."