A FAMILY escaped with their lives when a worn out gas pipe burst, sending flames shooting out of an old gas fire the family were using while their central heating was being fixed.
The man and woman in their 50s and their adult son decided to tackle the flames themselves using a garden hose and wet towels in the livingroom of their home in New Brook Road, Atherton.
The fire threatened to spread to furniture and carpets.
But firefighters said they had put their lives at risk by attempting to deal with the fire on the old-fashioned butane heater.
The family were told to leave the house in New Brook Road while firemen wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the blaze.
Sub officer Darren Baird of Atherton firestation said the family should have heeded safety advice and got out of the house when the fire started on Sunday evening.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article