A WOMAN was rescued from a house in Burnley after a lit cigarette caused an armchair to catch fire.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the house in Smith Street, Worsthorne after a smoke alarm was activated.
The woman had fallen asleep while smoking a cigarette, which had caused the arm of the armchair to smoulder, and fill the living room with smoke, firefighters said.
The woman was still inside the house when firefighters arrived, at around 10.20pm yesterday, as the smoke alarm had failed to wake her.
The fire caused slight damage to the arm of the chair, and the room was smoke logged.
A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "You are more than twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven’t got a smoke alarm.
"A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you precious time to escape."
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