FIREFIGHTERS rescued a 23-year-old man who was found leaning from a first floor window trapped in his burning flat.

Firefighters called to the smoke-logged premises in Deardengate, Haslingden, entered the flat at the back and fought the flames to the first floor to rescue the man.

Another fire crew arrived and put up ladders to the front of the building, near the Commercial Hotel.

Rawtenstall firefighter Dave Caldwell said: "When we got there we saw the man hanging out of the window. "The police told us the other crew had gone in the back way, but not knowing how long it would take them, we started putting up our ladders.

"But by the time we got a firefighter up there they had taken him out the back way.

"He had inhaled a lot of smoke, was very groggy and started collapsing so we carried round to the front and gave him oxygen. He was very lucky."

The man was treated by firefighter Denise Odgers and then by paramedics, who took him to Bury General Hospital.

A fire crew from Accrington and the incident support unit also arrived.

Rawtenstall firefighter Kelvin Emmett and Haslingden sub-officer Gordon Camm searched the premises and put out the blaze in 15 minutes.

It was thought the cause was either an electrical fault or a cigarette. The flat was badly damaged.

The man's name was not being released until relatives had been informed.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.