FOUR people who were rescued from a house fire in Burnley today publicly thanked their rescuers saying: "It is wasn't for them we may not be alive today."

Good friends Alan Taylor, 23, and Tyra Flint, 18, rented the house in Parkinson Street, Burnley, where a fire broke out in the front living room in the early hours of Tuesday morning, trapping them and Alan's brother Mark, 21, and Tyra's friend Sarah O'Dey, 15, in upstairs bedrooms.

Sarah and Mark were rescued by next-door neighbour Darren Boyer, who told them to smash a window and climb down a drain pipe.

Alan and Tyra were trapped for longer and were rescued by firefighters who helped them through the front window and led them to safety down a ladder after first putting out the fire.

All four inhaled smoke and were taken to Burnley General Hospital for treatment. Tyra, whose boyfriend lives in Oswaldtwistle, is six weeks pregnant and had inhaled the most smoke, but she said the doctors said her baby should be fine.

The fire started when clothes were left drying too close to a gas fire, but it was only an exploding aerosol which alerted Mr Boyer, who called out the fire brigade.

A smoke detector which Tyra said the landlord fitted, had its battery the wrong way round and so had not sounded to alert them to the smoke.

Tyra said: "I woke up first and smelled smoke and woke everybody up and Sarah had her mobile phone upstairs and phoned for help but it ran out of battery before she could tell them where we were.

"If it wasn't for our next-door neighbour and the fire brigade we might have died.

"We are very grateful to everybody for helping to get us out of the house. I am very close to Alan, he is like my big brother. I had to come out of the window head first and on to the ladder, I was so scared it was horrible.

"They said we were lucky to get out at all."

The fire destroyed the living room and contents and now Alan and Tyra are looking for a new house to rent.

A bull mastif cross, Jess, was downstairs when the fire broke out and had to be revived by firefighters, who gave the dog oxygen through a mask.

Tyra's kitten Rusty was thrown out of the back window but survived the fall.

Modest hero Darren said he would do the same anytime to help someone.

Firefighters warned people not to leave clothes drying too near a gas fire and make sure smoke detectors are checked regularly and the batter is fitted correctly.