A FIRE officer has urged all homeowners to fit smoke alarms after a blaze grew as a mother and baby sat unaware in the next room.

Both were unhurt as the mother was alerted once the fire had been going for a short while at her house on Pleckgate Road, Blackburn yesterday at around 11am.

A plastic tray from a high chair ignited after she forgot she had left it on the hob.

The kitchen was left heavily smoke logged.

Sub officer Beau Gaskin said it could have been fatal had the pair been asleep: "There were no smoke detectors in the house," he said.

"There has been a number of fires around the country where people died and the detectors are the major life-saving device you can buy.

"The mother went to sit down in the living room and was unaware for a short while it was on fire."