RESIDENTS at a Ribble Valley nursing home had to be evacuated after a ceiling fan in a downstairs washroom caught fire.

Around eight elderly men and women were forced to wait outside Hazeldene Nursing Home, in Ribchester, for around ten minutes after the ground floor became smoke-logged. Firefighters were called when staff noticed smoke coming from the toilet block.

Leading firefighter Dave Hilliard said: "The fire alarm went off and when we arrived smoke was coming out of the washroom even though the door was shut. Downstairs was heavily smoke-logged so we had to use breathing equipment.

"Staff had evacuated the residents, many had to be helped out. They were only outside for between 10 and 15 minutes.

"We put the fire out in the fan but realised it had spread into the ducting above so we had to stop that from spreading any further. We were there for about an hour."

The ceiling and fan were destroyed and the washroom was badly damaged.

One of the nurses from the home, Maitha Memba, said: "Luckily everyone is fine and they were not outside for long. But it has destroyed the downstairs room and caused some damage to the floor of the washroom above it so they are both out of use.

"There are other toilets the residents can use though so it's not a problem."