A PENSIONER living in isolation today told how he was lucky to be alive after a blaze started by arsonists ripped through his home and seven neighbouring empty houses.

Keith Capstick, 68, who has been living at his home in Bartle Street, Burnley, for 21 years was woken by his 34-year-old son, also called Keith, and a policeman at around 3am.

At the height of the inferno two engines from Burnley, one from Nelson, the Incident Support Unit and an aerial ladder platform were at the scene.

Firefighters said the blaze had been started deliberately in a neighbouring property which spread through the roof to the rest of the houses.

Mr Capstick has been living in solitude with his son among seven boarded up houses after the last of their neighbours moved out three weeks ago.

A Compulsory Purchase Order had been put on the house after the area was highlighted for redevelopment.

Mr Capstick said: "I was lucky because if my son hadn't have woken me up then things could have been a lot worse. Who knows what could have happened if I had been left another half an hour.

"It's sad in a way to think I will have to leave my home of 21 years but there is nothing left round here now. All the neighbours have gone. The area is just derelict. It used to be very nice so if the CPOs help improve the area then that's got to be a good thing."

Son Keith added: "I woke after hearing a noise in the loft. I thought it was burglars but I heard shouting and looked out of the window. I could see a man pointing up and saying there are people in the house. I could smell smoke.

"A policeman then knocked on the door and said we needed to get dressed and out as quickly as possible.

"It was lucky we did because within 20 minutes the fire had spread through all the houses.

"We are hoping to go and stay with a relative but we intend to contact the council today in the hope that they can provide me with some temporary accommodation."

Sub officer Neil Mark said: "We received the call at about 2.49am and we were in attendance within five minutes.

"Several people had called us to say that there were people living in one of the houses but by the time we got there both father and son were out.

"The alarm was sounding which is a vital thing to have when your living in an area surrounded by empty properties."

He added: "The fire spread very quickly through the roofs of all the houses which gutted the unoccupied houses.

"We concentrated on salvaging the occupied house and sent in a team of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.

"The damage in the house was kept to a minimal was was mainly water damage although the roof was destroyed."

He warned firebugs that the blaze could have resulted in a tragedy and added: "What these people don't seem to realise is that they are not only risking their own lives but they are risking the lives of others.

"It was fortunate that this didn't turn out to be more serious."