A MAN risked his own life to pull his father from a burning house in Burnley after an oven fire.

The man, in his 20s, dashed into a terrace home in Lark Street, Gannow, after two other members of his family had raised the alarm.

Firefighters said the blaze started after a deep fat fryer had been placed overhanging a cooker hob, which had been accidentally left on.

Four crews, from Burnley and Padiham, spent more than two hours putting out the flames.

The fire, which broke out at 2.40am, caused severe fire damage to the kitchen and bad smoke damage to the rest of the house.

Burnley fire station watch manager Steve Harrison said: “When we arrived there were four people outside who had been in the property.

“Quite possibly his son has saved his life because there was some pretty acrid plastic smoke, and it wouldn’t have taken much.

“He’s obviously saved his father from harm. It wasn’t stupid for him to go in, it’s what any son would have done for their dad.

“All of them were checked over by paramedics but it was just precautionary.

“We sent two breathing apparatus in and were able to extinguish the fire quickly.

“The smoke alarm they had fitted wasn’t working so didn’t alert them.

“One of the occupants was asleep on the sofa but luckily woke up when he thought that a light was on in the kitchen.”

The man who rescued his father, who is in his 50s, does not live at the house but lives nearby and ran into the house to wake his dad and get him out before the smoke spread upstairs.

Mr Harrison said: “Working smoke alarms save lives, but even if you have one you do need to check it’s working properly, And cooking while either tired or otherwise impaired isn’t a good idea. It could have been much, much worse, they were lucky to escape.

“The actions of the son are to be commended, he undoubtedly saved his father from harm, regardless of the risk to himself.”