FIREFIGHTERS today warned youngsters they did not want a repeat of an accident that almost killed an officer six years ago after discovering a gas cylinder caught up in the middle of a blaze.

The incident happened at the back of a row of shops in Ashgrove, Darwen, about 7pm on Monday, when officers were called out to what they believed was a skip fire.

When they arrived at the scene they discovered a 15kg butane gas cylinder -- similar to ones used for camping trips -- in the metal container, which they said they believed had been put there deliberately.

The warning to the vandals comes six years after another Darwen firefighter was almost killed on duty when he suffered horrific injuries after catching the full force of a blast when a gas cylinder exploded in front of him.

He spent more than three months in hospital recovering from his injuries after his left leg and arm were shattered by shrapnel from the force of the blast and surgeons had to piece his bones back together with a series of plates and screws.

Sub officer Phil Whittaker urged people to think twice before playing with fire and said: "A firefighter almost lost his life during a similar incident a few years ago when a gas cylinder exploded and we don't want to see this happening again. It always brings it home when you get youngsters putting them there deliberately.

"There is compressed gas inside the cylinders and when they got hot it heats up and the canister expands. When it can't expand anymore the gas sets on fire and the metal will splinter like a bomb going off.

"Monday's incident could have been much worse. There was rubbish piled all around the skip and it might only have been a matter of time before the cylinder exploded depending on how much gas was in it at the time.

"It was a very dangerous thing to do not only for the firefighters who were called to put it out but to the children themselves and the local people as well because this was in quite a built up residential area.

"We would urge children not to play with fire and especially not to put things like gas cylinders into the middle of them because they can have very serious consequences if they explode."