A FAMILY fled their home today after a smoke alarm alerted them to a severe fire in a back bedroom.

The mother and three children escaped as flames and smoke enveloped the top floor of the semi-detached house in Huncoat.

Two fire engines from Hyndburn fire station were despatched to the blaze in Station Road just after 3pm and the crew spent two hours fighting the flames and damping the bedroom down.

Watch manager Gary Drinkwater said the prompt reaction of the family showed the importance of fitting and maintaining smoke alarms.

Four breathing apparatus, hose reels and thermal imaging cameras were used to fight the fire and make the house safe.

Mr Drinkwater said: “Two appliances from Hyndburn fire station were sent to a severe house fire in Station Road Huncoat at 3.04pm today.

“There were four people in the house - a mother and three children - but they evacuated safely after being alerted by the smoke alarm to the fire in a back-bedroom.

“The bedroom was gutted and the rest of the first floor was heavily smoked-logged.

“The family were uninjured but it was a bad fire.

“This shows clearly the importance of fitting and maintaining smoke alarms.

“If the ones in the house had not been working and the mother had not been alert to the danger the damage to the house would have been much worse and someone could have been seriously hurt.

“We are now investigating the cause of the fire.

“The crews were there for about two hours.

“They used four breathing apparatus, hose reels and thermal imaging cameras to fight the fire.

“At the moment the cause is unknown.”