TWO women were rushed to hospital yesterday afternoon after bravely trying to save two cats from a house fire.

The kind neighbours saw the blaze tear through a bungalow at the corner of Milford Drive and Benbridge Avenue – between West Howe and Bear Cross – shortly before 3pm and soon raised the alarm.

Unable to put the flames out themselves they entered the property to find the animals, knowing the owners were away on holiday.

It is not known if the cats were successfully rescued.

Firefighters found both women unconscious on the floor.

One of the brave women is 49-year-old Helen Brown who lives next door to the fire-damaged house. Her son, Lee Williams, said his mum rushed to the property after seeing the flames, along with another neighbour.

“There was this lady outside shouting ‘Fire, fire’,” Mr Williams, 21, said, recalling the moment he arrived at the property later in the afternoon.

He said he saw the firefighters – from Poole, Ferndown and Redhill – rescue his mum from the house after she “passed out” on the floor.

“They tried but they couldn’t put it out,” he added. “So they tried to save the two cats. There was just this lady screaming ‘There’s a fire, there’s a fire’. I couldn’t believe it.”

Mr Williams said the owners – who asked not to be identified when contacted by the Daily Echo – had just returned from their holidays when they were called about the blaze.

He said: “It’s not the sort of call you want on your holiday, is it?”

Neither woman, Mr Williams said, was seriously injured in the rescue attempt and both were taken to hospital for possible shock and smoke inhalation.

Firefighters called Dorset Police to the scene.

The fire-ravaged bungalow was cordoned off as both fire officers and forensic officers investigated the extent of the damage.

It is not yet known how the fire began.

The stop message was issued at 3.51pm.