Wednesday morning, they pulled the woman out of a broken window on her mobile home, allowing her to escape her burning residence in Louisburg.
Neighbors rushed to help Martha Bullock out of the home when they saw the fire and her son trying to get her out.
The 73-year-old woman cannot walk. She suffered second- and third-degree burns and was transported to the burn center in Chapel Hill.
Bullock's son, Graham Bullock Jr., rushed into her room to save her after the fire started while she slept. He pushed her mattress against the window, ran outside and -- with the help of neighbors -- pulled her out.
"It just happened so fast," Graham Bullock Jr. said. "I just reached in and just started pulling her, and I don't know who else came and helped me get her out."
Emergency personnel at the scene said the neighbors' quick action helped to save Martha Bullock's life.
"I don't see how they got her out with all the flames," said neighbor Carolyn Steed, whose husband helped in the rescue. "There were flames coming out of everywhere."
Martha's husband, 79-year-old Graham Bullock, was airlifted to the Chapel Hill burn center. Graham Jr. was treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation and released.
The elder Bullocks' conditions were not known Wednesday night.
The fire started around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators said it appeared that a kerosene heater malfunctioned, but they also are looking into other possible causes.
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