A MAN called emergency services from his mobile, pleading for help after he became trapped in his bedroom when a fire broke out.

The man, who is in his 40s, called the fire brigade after the house on Whalley New Road, Blackburn became smoke-logged.

Firefighters said he was shouting from an upstairs bedroom window when they arrived just before 8pm.

Blackburn leading firefighter Dave Hilliard said: "Due to the heavy smoke, the man was in the bedroom and the fire was in danger of spreading, but fortunately it did not spread.

"We had to beat the door in to get into the house and one of us went up and gave him oxygen to help with his breathing.

"He had done the right thing by staying in the bedroom, as he would have almost certainly been overcome by smoke had he tried to get downstairs and become trapped."

The fire, which was started by an electrical fault in a fridge freezer, left the freezer badly damaged.

The man declined hospital treatment after the incident.

Mr Hilliard added the home had not been fitted with smoke alarms, and, if it had, the man would have been alerted to the fire sooner.

He said: "Once again we are emphasising that if people spend just a few pounds on a smoke alarm, it could save their lives or alert them to danger much earlier.

"In this instance, this man would have heard the smoke alarm and would have been able to do something about it, before it got to this stage."

Anyone who would like a free home safety check by the fire brigade should call 01254 52111 for details.