A WOMAN remained in a critical condition last night, after a house fire in Pontypool.

Fire services were alerted to the house blaze on Tenison Road, Trevethin, at 6.30am, on December 31.

The resident at the house, a woman, aged 55, had already got out of the building before the fire service’s arrival, with the help of neighbours.

Three fire engines attended to tackle the fire on the first-floor landing.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said a paramedic and an ambulance crew attended, and the woman was initially taken to Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny.

Gwent Police said they were also called to the house fire and that the woman had since been taken to Swansea’s Morriston Hospital, which is home to The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery.

She said last night that the woman remained in a critical condition.

She added: “We are treating the fire as deliberately set. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.”

A resident who lives on the road said he was “shocked” when he heard there had been a fire. He had been woken up by the lights of the emergency services at the property and at first thought it was someone’s Christmas lights flashing, before realising it was more serious upon further inspection, but remained in his house.

Fire crews attended the property from New Inn, Abersychan and Cwmbran fire stations and left the property at 7.17am after extinguishing the blaze.

One hose jet and two breathing apparatus were used.