A woman dialled 999 to report a fire but put the phone down without giving her address.
The operator knew the woman was in trouble because the smoke alarm was ringing in the background.
British Telecom had to do some speedy detective work, guiding Littlehampton firefighters to the area of the call and then to the precise address in Priory Road, Arundel.
They found smoke billowing from the first floor flat, the woman still inside.
The crews rescued her before tackling the flames, sparked by a frying pan which caught fire just after 11pm on Friday.
They cleared the building of smoke and the woman was able to return to her home.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article