FIRE crews were called to a house in Burnley after a serious blaze broke out in the kitchen.

The fire began in the kitchen of the house at 9.15pm on Thursday in Piccadilly Road.

It is now known what caused the incident, but fire officers had to fight back flames to bring the blaze under control.

Crew manager Tom Mellor said: “We attended a serious house fire at Piccadilly Road. On arrival crews we faced a with a well developed fire in the downstairs of the property.

“Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were deployed with a hosereel to fight the fire which was brought under control quickly, the damage left was severe.

“A fan was used to clear the smoke and an investigation is underway between Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the police.

“No working smoke alarms were present in the property. Smoke alarms save lives.

“You are more than twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven’t got one. A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you and your family precious time to escape.”