A COUPLE who discovered a fire at their home realised that firefighters were in the same street dealing with another job.

A faulty shower unit burst into flames in the bathroom at the home in Southfield Road, Almondbury, at 9.45 last night.

A 46-year-old woman was in the shower when it caught fire and she ended up breathing in thick, black smoke.

The man turned the electricity off at the mains and twice rushed upstairs with bowls of water to douse the burning shower unit.

He then ran across the road to alert firefighters, who were pumping out two flooded homes opposite.

They ran across to make sure the fire was properly doused and gave oxygen to the shocked woman.

Paramedics were called, but she did not need to go to hospital.

Leading Firefighter Brian Rhodes, of Huddersfield fire station, said: "It was an amazing coincidence that we were already in the street.

"The fire caused considerable damage to the bathroom.

"The man did very well to turn the power off and deal with the fire, which had spread up the wall.

"The woman was very shocked and upset," he added.

The crew had been pumping out flooded spaces beneath a pair of semi-detached houses.