A 10-YEAR-old boy alerted his family to a fire in his bedroom.

Firefighters believe the small blaze, at a home in Burnley Road, Bacup, could have been sparked by a faulty electrical item.

The boy shouted to his mum as flames spread to his bed and clothes, and she then ‘did exactly the right thing’ by closing the bedroom door and evacuating the house quickly with her two children.

They called 999 at 6.54am yesterday and two fire crews were able to contain the flames and smoke to the bedroom.

Watch manager Damian Hartley said: “The boy did what everybody should do by alerting people in the house.

“The family in general did a really good job, because they got out swiftly and safely.

“We do a lot of work going into schools and talking to children about the dangers of fire and it’s obviously worked this time.

“By shutting the door, they managed to confine the fire to the single bedroom and it was mainly smoke damage in the end.

“If the fire was left it would have taken over the whole bedroom and been much worse, but they did also have a smoke alarm that would have alerted them.”

Some carpet, bed furnishings and a mattress were damaged by the fire.

Watch manager Hartley added: “It is believed that this was an accidental fire and further investigations are being carried out to determine the cause.

“However, it is thought to be attributed to an electrical item.”

He did not know whether the boy was asleep when the fire started, and declined to say which item was suspected of sparking the fire until investigations were complete.

He also urged residents to ensure that smoke alarms were fitted and tested.

Residents can contact Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 169 1125 to receive a home fire safety check and a free smoke alarm.