HISTORY kind of repeated itself for a community hero who helped save the life of a woman who had fallen unconscious as a fire raged through a block of flats.

Elena Veysey, who offered emergency assistance to a mother giving birth in a flat next to hers in Taunton in November 2012, performed her latest heroics during a blaze in Exeter.

NHS worker Elena, 44, was walking to work along Beaconheath Road, Exeter, when she noticed flames and smoke billowing from the block of flats.

She told the County Gazette: "I had to play superhero again.

"I was outside shouting, 'Fire. Flats are on fire!'"

Elena, who helped direct people fleeing the building to the evacuation point, added: "My company has trained me not to enter a burning building, so I didn't.

"But it was hard to resist as adrenalin kicks in.

"Luckily a man driving by screeched to a halt, abandoning his car in the middle of the road, and ran into the building door knocking."

By the time fire crews arrived on the scene, a window had blown out and Elena informed them she believed someone was trapped inside a flat that was well ablaze.

Firefighters forced their way in to rescue the unconscious woman, who was airlifted to hospital.

Elena was herself taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital suffering smoke inhalation and has since been readmitted after developing a bacterial infection that has caused cellulitis to develop and damaged her voice box.

The incident brought back memories for Elena - 11 years ago she was among neighbours and family members who helped safely deliver baby Kyran Davey in the lobby of the Waterside House block of flats in Taunton after his mum Michelle Wilkinson suddenly went into labour. Check out the story in this week's County Gazette Looking Back.

Recovering at home this week, Elena said: "Well I have been in that very position again but with a fire.

"So yes, community hero twice. Would I do any of those things again? Absolutely. You do what you have to for others."

The mother-of-two has previously lived in Taunton and Wellington and worked at Mama Bears nursery and in the maternity unit a Musgrove Park Hospital.

She recently launched a GoFundMe appeal, Eva's Worlds Dream, to help finance her 15-year-old daughter Eva's trip to take part in an international cheerleading competition in Florida next April.

For details click HERE.