TERRIFIED children were led to safety after a terrace house in Burnley Wood was gutted in an arson attack.

Firefighters warned that a child could haves been killed after two arson attacks on the same house in Crowther Street, Burnley Wood, in less than 12 hours.

In the second incident, at 1.15am today, a couple and their three children had to be evacuated from a neighbouring house on Crowther Street after several seats of fire were set in the end terrace near Brunswick Street.

James Butterworth said he woke in the early hours to smell smoke in the bedroom and woke up his girlfriend Susan Harrison and their children Diane Harrison, 16, Sammy-Jo Douglas, 12 and seven-year-old Zoe-Claire Butterworth.

He said: "The next thing the firefighters called at the door and we were advised to get out. The children were very frightened."

He said they went to a friend's house and were not allowed back home until 3.45am.

The occupier of an adjacent house was out when the fire started and that property was smoke damaged. The fire also spread into the roof voids of that house and a second unoccupied house on Crowther Street burning through the roof.

Station Officer Paul Harvey said: "We got numerous calls to the property and when we arrived it was well alight and flames were coming out of everywhere.

"The property was insecure from the first fire at 4.30pm yesterday and anyone could have just walked in and started it.

"The dangers of these properties cannot be stressed enough to parents especially with it being the school holidays. Parents should not allow their children to play in these unoccupied buildings. Sooner or later it is going to cost a life.

"Anyone living in a row where there are unoccupied houses can contact the fire service for a free fire safety check and if smoke detectors are not fitted in the houses we will supply and fit them."

Around 25 firefighters from Burnley, Nelson, the aerial platform ladder from Burnley and the incident support unit from Accrington were at the scene for three-and-a-half hours.

At 4.30pm yesterday crews from Burnley were called to the same house when a fire was started in rubbish in the cellar caused some damage to the ground floor.

A pensioner who has lived in the area for 69 years told how he saw about 20 children aged 11 to 14 smashing the property's windows and throwing burning rags into the cellar of the property while the firefighters tackled the fire from the rear of the building.

He said: "It was a beautiful area when I grew up but it has gone down in the last 30 years and especially in the last two.

"All the houses they are pulling down are just moving the problems of the area further up Burnley Wood. They are not getting rid of the trouble."

Station Officer Harvey said: "It was difficult to tell where the fire had started in the second incident because the house was well alight on the ground and first floor. It looked like there had been several seats of fire."

The Fire Reduction Team from Burnley was in the area today to speak to people living in the area and fit smoke detectors.