A DISCARDED cigarette sparked a blaze which gutted the farmhouse home of a former judge.

The fire at the isolated Blacko home of solicitor Linda Lazonby and her husband, David, destroyed the first floor and the ground floor was severely damaged by the water the fire brigade used to tackle the blaze.

Three fire engines from Nelson and Colne were called to the property just after 10pm yesterday.

They found Mr Lazonby had managed to get himself and his wife, an ex-deputy county court district judge, to safety outside the house. A first-floor bedroom was well alight and the fire had spread into the roof void.

Sub officer Jon Pinner, of Nelson fire station, said: "The fire started in the bedroom. Mr Lazonby tried to tackle it himself with a garden hose but when he realised he couldn't put it out he got himself and his wife outside.

"The bedroom was gutted and the first floor severely damaged. There was also severe water damage to the ground floor.

"We were worried the fire might spread into an adjoining barn so we had to take some tiles off the roof to get access and prevent the fire from spreading."

The fire brigade put the cause down to the careless disposal of a lighted cigarette.

Fire crews were at the scene for almost three hours. Firefighters struggled to get enough water to the isolated farmhouse and one of the engines had to leave to find the nearest hydrant.

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