A MOTHER and her teenage daughter had a narrow escape when a fire broke out at their home in Bacup.

Laura Casey and her daughter Julie-Ann, 15, were in the rented terraced property in Cooperation Street at 11am yesterday when a fire started in a downstairs rear room.

Firefighters said the fire started because of a discarded cigarette end which then set fire to a cushion.

Station Officer Pete Frazer said: "The mum spotted the fire and put a coat over the top of it but then lifted it up with the cushion to try to remove it from the property but it became too hot and she dropped it in a passageway.

"Unfortunately there was some furniture in there which caught fire."

Laura got her daughter and the family's dog out of the house and called the fire brigadet.

Mr Frazer said: "Fortunately neither the mum nor daughter received serious injuries although there was quite a bit of smoke, but they did not need hospital treatment.

"After she had thrown the coat over the fire she should have tried to get the family out first before trying to move the cushion. The priority is to make sure everyone is safe and then call us out or try to tackle the fire.

"The house was fitted with smoke detectors which were working but the mum spotted the fire before they activated."

The fire damaged the passageway and front room and the smoke damaged the rest of the ground and first floor and the attic.