Moira Deeprose says the first thing she knew about a fire at her home was when a neighbour knocked her door down and she had to flee in just her nightdress and slippers.
She said she "almost fell down the stairs" in her rush to get out of her home in Quinton, Birmingham, before someone pulled her out through the door.
The fire "ruined my life", she added, as she waits for a permanent home to move into.
West Midlands Fire Service said it believed the fire was caused accidentally, "by careless cigarette disposal".
An online fundraising appeal has been set up for the 75-year-old, who said she had lost everything in a house fire.
