FIVE puppies escaped unharmed after a dog bed smouldered for hours, filling the kitchen they were in with smoke.

The dogs' owners had left one of the dog beds on the cooker top before going to bed in Bracken Close, Blackburn, and it is believed the bed pushed down on the ignition buttons, which set it alight.

When the couple came downstairs at 6.30am today, they found the kitchen completely smoke-logged due to the slowly smouldering fabric.

Two fire engines from Blackburn attended the scene but the burning bed had been extinguished when they arrived.

Watch manager Damian Hartley said: "What saved the couple and the puppies was the fact all the kitchen doors had been closed, which contained the fire to the one room.

"There were no smoke detectors fitted, so if the doors had been open the fire would have spread easily with nothing to alert the occupants.

"Luckily the dogs were also all OK - although their coats were all a lot darker than they're meant to be!"

The only damage caused was severe by smoke to the kitchen.

Watch manager Hartley urged anyone without smoke detectors fitted to call 0800 169 1125 to have them installed for free.