TWO men escaped from the first floor of their blazing house today after neighbours raced to the rescue.

The two men -- thought to be brothers -- suffered cuts, bruises and smoke inhalation as a result of the fire at Spring Street, Rishton at around 1.30am.

Neighbours Andrew and Ann-Marie Glancey were woken by a motorist who saw the house on fire. They heard him scream for help and when they opened their bedroom window and saw the smoke.

They then walked in front of the blazing house and saw the two men throw a portable television and then a mattress through the window.

The couple tried to encourage them to jump, but the men were reluctant. Mr Glancey got a ladder from his backyard and eased the men down.

The couple said the two men were very shaken as they tried to comfort them before the ambulance arrived.

The fire service and ambulance arrived soon after.

Mrs Glancey said: "We were woken up at 1am when we heard screaming and opened the window and a white car was parked in the middle of the street. Then we saw the smoke and phoned for the fire service.

"When we went outside, we saw they had thrown a television through the window to get out and then threw a mattress, but they didn't want to get down and wouldn't jump, so we got a ladder from our backyard and got them out.

"One of the men was quite badly shaken up, he seemed very stunned. but they had a few cuts and bruises from the glass and didn't seem too bad.

"When the fire brigade came they opened the door and you could see the smoke and fire coming out of the house."

Mrs Glancey said that the fire service were to fit smoke alarms in their homes today as a result.

The couple next door to the blazing house have been moved after smoke damage to their property.

The two men, in their 20s, were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and were expected to be released later today.