A MUM and her two young children fled their home after a laptop charger left on a bed sparked a devastating blaze.

Student Mary Disley was watching television downstairs while her daughter Isabel, eight, and six-year-old son Ayrton were asleep upstairs.

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The 33-year-old had left her new laptop charging up on her bed at her home in Rosehill Road but, unbeknown to her, the charger overheated and burst into flames.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Mary heard a smoke alarm and rushed upstairs to find flames shooting from the charger on the bed where Ayrton had originally wanted to sleep before cuddling up to his sister in another bedroom.

She said: “I shouted for the kids to wake up. I was screaming, telling Izzy to get her brother up and to tell them to get to the front door.

“I got the dogs, a bichon called Mojo and a Shih Tzu called Dot, and was behind them. I put them in the car and rang the fire brigade.

“We have lived here for around two years. I had just got it how I wanted it. Everything is gone. The only place that’s not touched is the kitchen.

“There will be no TVs or games consoles in the bedrooms from now on.”

The family did not have home insurance, and face a costly repair bill, as well as having to replace most of their belongings after the fire destroyed the upstairs rooms.

But the community has rallied round to launch a Facebook group, ‘Help Mary and her 2 children’, which has attracted 500 members, appealing for donations of clothes, toys and furniture.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Firefighters have also warned that electrical items should not be left on bedding when switched on and should be switched off when not in use.

Mary’s brother-in-law, Paul Booth, ran from his home in nearby Gainsborough Avenue after hearing about the fire.

The 29-year-old dad-of-two said: “I woke my kids up, left them with a neighbour, and ran around. I shouted, ‘are the kids out?’, but they were. Seconds later the fire brigade turned up.

“She is very lucky. If the fire alarm did not go off, she would not have known.”

Yesterday, Mary and her children went back to examine the damage after spending the night at Paul’s house.

Every bedroom was covered in thick soot, while several downstairs rooms had severe water damage.

The children’s clothes and toys have been badly damaged or destroyed.

Mary added: "I started studying social science at the University of Central Lancashire this week, and I got a laptop for my birthday, which is on Saturday, off my sister.

“It was the first time I had it so I put it on charge on the bed and went to watch the rest of Coronation Street before doing my uni work.”

Two crews from Burnley were called to the blaze, which ripped through the bedroom in just minutes at 8.55pm on Monday.

An investigation confirmed the fire was caused by ‘an overheating laptop power pack which had been left on the bed'.

A fire service spokesman said: “On this occasion, the actions of Mary must be commended and we cannot stress enough the importance of smoke detection in people’s property which, on this occasion, has undoubtedly saved lives.

“Electrical items such as hairdryers, straighteners, laptops, and tablets, should not be left on bedding when switched on and should be switched off when not in use.”

Barrowford Primary School’s headteacher Rachel Tomlinson has called for residents to help the family back on their feet.

Writing on Facebook, she said: “Just heard some sad news that a member of our community lost her house and all her belongings in a fire on Monday night.

“Thank goodness, she and her children are safe. I know there will be many friends who want to, and be able to, help.

“If anyone can help with clothes and maybe toys or other household items, please drop them off at school.

“I never cease to be amazed at what we can do for people in this situation.”

Donations can be dropped off at the school, in Rushton Street, while World of Plastering, in Grafton Street, Nelson, and the Queen Victoria pub, in Colne Road, are also acting as drop-off points.