A MAN was left with burns to his arm after a cigarette set fire to his bed.

Firefighters were called to the middle terrace property in Tennyson Place, Great Harwood shortly before 2am today.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, came in from a night out and was getting changed to go back out when a lit cigarette set fire to the mattress in his bedroom.

He sustained burns to his upper left arm when he tried to throw the mattress through the window. His parents, who had been asleep in another bedroom, escaped unharmed.

Fire crews Great Harwood and Hyndburn stations attended the scene and spent two hours putting out the fire, which left the bedroom severely damaged and the rest of the first floor badly smoke damaged. The roof space of the two adjacent properties was also smoke damaged.

The injured man refused hospital treatment.

A firefighter spokesman said: "The occupants were lucky, because the house was not fitted with any smoke detectors. We would urge people to have them fitted if they do not already have them, they can save lives."

Call 0800 1691125 to have them installed for free.