ARSONISTS started a blaze which left a family facing a wall of flames and came close to blowing up the neighbourhood.

The family were forced to evacuate their Gloucester Avenue home in Clayton-le-Moors through the back door as burning gas in a front porch raged "out of control".

Another earlier fire at the rear of their end-terraced property, which is also thought to have been started deliberately, could have trapped them inside.

Firefighters, police and utility engineers rushed to the scene at 1am on Sunday and an evacuation of hundreds of people was prepared.

The fire is thought to have started from interference with the domestic gas service pipe.

The family realised something was wrong when lights started to flicker as they were watching TV after returning from the pub.

Mother Kate Sewell, 42, who was released from hospital two weeks ago following a second heart attack, was deeply shaken and traumatised by the fire.

She said: "At first we thought it was kids messing around with the switches outside but then we opened the front door to see the flames.

"All I can think about is that we could have all died if we had been asleep. Going for a drink actually saved our lives."

The phone land line which they tried to use to contact the emergency services also failed to work properly.

The family, including 19-year-old daughter Karina Pownall, who is five months pregnant, and her six-year-old child slept on the living room floor of a neighbouring relative. They were let back in the property at 11am yesterday.

The house was without hot water, electricity and gas for 18 hours.

Around eight police cars were called to the scene to implement a full evacuation of the residential area.

Sergeant Stuart Bruce of Blackburn police said: "We were called to a ruptured gas mains and were evacuating Rutland Close and asking a nearby old people's home to take people in when the gas leak was isolated.

"A full investigation is under way into the leak and subsequent fire but at this stage it looks deliberate."

Kate's husband Robert, 41, said: "We were planning my birthday celebrations for today but this has totally taken over."

Janet Jackson, press officer for Transco, said: "We believe vandals started a fire by interfering with a domestic gas service pipe. This fire then set rubbish alight and the fire took hold."

Catherine Knowles, of North British Housing which owns the property, said full safety checks have been completed and new power supplies were restored yesterday afternoon.

She said: "We will be visiting the family tomorrow but believe this was an arson attack."

The fire which was started earlier in the evening was described by William Rimmer, 19, also staying at the house, as "a deliberate and malicious attack".

Kate said: "We are all totally petrified now to think that this could have been started maliciously. It is not just our family who was put at risk but all the neighbours as well."

An industrial size deep-fat fryer caught fire at the Orient Express take away, Whalley Road, Accrington, leaving staff clearing up for hours.

Fire broke out at 10.30am on Saturday, preventing the shop from opening that evening.

Manager Jenny Young said: "There were a few people in the building but they were evacuated and no one was hurt.

"We have had to come in to try and clean up but we could only open the back kitchen for deliveries." Firefighters from Accrington attended the fire and used specialised foam to extinguish flames. The cause of the fire is unknown