A FAMILY, including a baby, were forced to escape after a fire broke out on a balcony in an apartment block.
Fearing the flames would spread, neighbours began ringing the buzzers to all the apartments while a taxi driver used his car horn to alert residents.
Three fire engines were called to the incident at around 3.40am.
The blaze is believed to be have been caused by a discarded cigarette, at the Riverside View block in Clayton Le Moors, in the early hours of Saturday.
The fire was contained to the balcony and patio doors.
Sarah Heathcote, who lives nearby, said she was woken up just before 4am.
She said: "The first thing I heard was a car horn which I found out later was someone trying get the attention of the people in the flats because nobody was answering the buzzers.
"I looked out of the bathroom window and saw these flames. I put my dressing gown on and went out to see if anyone had called the fire brigade.
"People were ringing the buzzers to try and get people out.
"The people whose flat it was were already out and had the baby with them then the fire brigade turned up."
Another resident said: "My partner woke me up then went across to knock on the doors to try and wake people up.
"There was a crackling noise which sounded like something electrical.
"With what happened to Grenfell Tower we were worried it could have spread.
"Your first instinct is to run out and make sure everyone is all right and thankfully they were."
Another was woken by the sound of the taxi beeping its horn.
He said: "I thought 'what is it doing?' then I looked outside and saw the flames.
"It looked awful. It was lucky it did not spread but the fire brigade were here really quickly."
A fire spokesman said: "The fire involved a third floor balcony and the wooden decking.
"Fortunately the occupants, two adults and a small baby, were alerted by the noise and managed to vacate the property.
"We believe it may have been caused by a cigarette disposed in a metal container. It also contained some dried-out baby wipes and it looks like they caught fire.
"We were there for a couple of hours."
Nobody was injured.
Paul Brown, manager of the Eafield and Maple Estate and Letting Agent who manage the property, said: "It was a minor fire and none of the other properties were affected.
"There is no structural damage.
"I understand the residents were evacuated by the fire brigade."