A CHIMNEY fire spread to the attic space of two houses in Accrington last night.

Firefighters were called to the incident in Empress Street around 8.45pm.

They used equipment including an aerial ladder platform to tackle the blaze.

Crew manager Steven Hartley said: “The owner was doing up one of the properties and was burning off some rubbish.

“This spread through the chimney into the loft space and next door, which they also own.

“We had to cut it all back so we could expose the beams and extinguish it.

“It was always under control because luckily it was discovered early.”

The fire caused severe damage to the roof of the first building and moderate smoke damage to an attic bedroom in the second property.