A WOMAN had to be led to safety when a pan set on fire at her Nelson home.

Firefighters said the woman had fallen asleep while the pan was on the hob, in the kitchen of her house in Smith Street.

But her next door neighbour went into the terrace property after smelling smoke and led her out into the street at around 10.45am today.

According to crew members, the pan and contents were wrecked in the blaze.

They cleared the smoke and the woman was able to go back inside.