WORRIED Worcester firefighters say residents may not be so lucky next time after a tender was stopped by parked cars from reaching another blaze.

For the third time in a week firecrews called to a fire in The Arboretum had to abandon their engines and race on foot to the house.

A woman needed hospital treatment for smoke inhalation after battling the fire in Lansdowne Street on her own, before firefighters reached her around 9.30am yesterday.

Members of the city's Green Watch had to leave two engines at the end of the street and run hoses to the house, where a fire had broken out in the kitchen.

"This was the third time lucky, but who knows what will happen next time? We could lose a life or lose a property," said Sub Officer Shaun D'Oliveira.

He said firefighters could barely manoeuvre an engine down Lansdowne Street, let alone open the doors or use the hoses.

It is believed the woman, who had returned home after taking her husband to work, ran into the house to rescue the couple's two dogs and try to put out the fire, which smoke-logged the ground flood.

On Monday firefighters had to bounce cars out of the way to try and reach a house fire in Little Chestnut Street, Arboretum.

They had the same problem in The Arboretum's Northfield Street last Wednesday

Lansdowne Street resident Lorraine Edmondson said parking had been a problem for the four years she had lived there.

"There's no way emergency services could get down here to do their job," she said.

Mrs Edmondson said she offered to move her car when crews arrived but claimed most of the vehicles were not residents' but belonged to people who worked in the city, pupils at the Royal Grammar School and employees at Reality.

Lansdowne Street does not have any parking restrictions.

"I'd like to see a residents' only parking scheme," she added.

A spokeswoman for RGS said there was no way to know if sixth formers parked there.

She said youngsters needed written permission to drive to school and had to take an additional course in considerate driving.

"If for any reason they get a ticket their privileges are withdrawn," she said.

A spokesman for Reality said: "This isn't the first choice of parking for people walking to work at Reality, but people will park where legal parking is available."