OILDALE, Calif. -- A fire alarm saved the life of a humorous elderly woman after her house caught fire Thursday in Oildale.

The fire started in the attic at about 4:30 a.m., waking 92-year-old Doris Steinhoms.

When fire crews arrived the attic was engulfed in flames, while Steinhoms was in the back yard.

Steinhoms said, "I’m 92 years old. I’m not going to stay in there.” She then joked, “I’m going to be cremated, but not while alive.”

Firefighters said it also helped that Steinhoms opened the doors before they arrived to give fire crews access to her home.

There's no word on the cause of the fire.