A BRAVE teenager led her young brothers to safety after a chip pan fire filled their Nelson home with smoke.

Zuniara Hussain, 16, threw wet towels over the flaming pan before grabbing four-year-old Mughis and Ahmar, seven, and leading them away from danger.

Their mum Asifa Hussain had just left their Bishop Street home for a few minutes when the chip pan went up in flames, filling the kitchen with thick smoke.

Fast-thinking Zuniara, a pupil at Walshaw High School, Burnley, tackled the fire and then quickly telephoned her mum before fleeing the house.

"She was a very brave girl," said Mrs Hussain. "I'd just put the tea and I had to go out for a few minutes so I left Zuniara in charge.

"She rang me saying the chip pan was on fire so I just told her to leave everything and get the children out of the house."

The fire was almost out when the fire brigade arrived. It left the kitchen walls and ceiling, and several cupboards, blackened with smoke.

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