TWO young women and a baby fled their home when it filled with thick black smoke after a fire was started deliberately in the flat below them.

Firefighters were called to Leamington Road, Blackburn, at 2.30am today after residents were alerted to the blaze by smoke alarms.

They used thermal imaging cameras as they searched the property for anyone who had not managed to escape.

Watch manager Aiden Fortune, said: "Fortunately the two young women and a baby had managed to get themselves out of their first floor flat, but they had to get through quite thick black smoke to do so.

"When we went in to the property where the fire started we found evidence of lighter fuel and could see that two seats had been deliberately set on fire.

"A police investigation will be launched as whoever started this fire had no regard for the lives of those living in the flats above.

"I would not like to think what could have happened if the occupants had not been woken by the smoke alarms when they were."

Police officers and paramedics were also called to the incident and the residents were treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation.

A police spokesman said that they did not know if the flat where the fire started was occupied but the flat had been broken into a couple of days earlier.

The ground floor bedroom was severely damaged in the blaze.