A YOUNG couple are “lucky to be alive” following a breakfast time chip pan fire which ripped through their home.

Eighteen firefighters battled the blaze which engulfed the house in Blackburn.

Neighbours alerted the emergency services after they saw smoke billowing from the windows at the back of the house in Isherwood Street, Ewood.

The man and woman who live in the house had managed to escape just seconds before the fire crews arrived at 7.45am.

They were both treated at the scene for smoke inhalation before being rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital in an ambulance to receive further treatment.

Following the blaze fire investigators scoured through the charred remains of the terraced house and said the fire had been caused by an unattended chip pan in the kitchen.

Peter Frazer, watch manager at Blackburn Fire station, said: “There were two people in the house and the property was fortunately designed in such a way that they managed to come down the stairs and get out of the house without going through the blaze.

“They had a very lucky escape and if we had arrived minutes later we could have been dealing with fatalities.

“The fire had been caused by an unattended chip pan which had been left in the kitchen whilst the female occupant went outside for a cigarette.

“When she came back inside the house she fell asleep on the sofa and the pan over heated.”

He said as the blaze began to spread the woman managed to run up the stairs and wake her partner and they both escaped through the front door before the fire engulfed the entire house.

Mr Frazer said: “This is another reminder to people to make sure that they have smoke alarms fitted and to keep an eye on anything they put on the cooker especially chip pans which are very dangerous.”

Pensioner Valerie Whittaker, dialled 999 when she saw smoke in the back garden of the house.

The part-time cleaner at Westholme School said: “I noticed smoke billowing out of the kitchen window which had been left open and ran inside and dialled 999.

“Before I managed to get dressed the firefighters were already here, it was a matter of minutes.”

The fire spread quickly to the lounge area and the rest of the property.

Neighbours also had to be evacuated as the smoke began to spread to their homes in the quiet cul-de-sac.

Three adjoining properties were slightly smoke-damaged.