Crews stage dramatic rescue of woman and two young children from house fire

Crews from Bamber Bridge and Penwortham raced to the scene of the "persons reported" fire on Brindle Road at around 1am this morning.

Firefighters arrived to find a woman and her two young children, who are thought to be around 3 months and 18 months old, still inside the property.

The crews gained entry to the home, carried the children from the property and escorted the mother to safety.

All three received treatment for smoke inhalation at the scene.

One of the casualties was transferred to hospital added a spokesman for ambulance services.

Crew Manager David Widdop said: "We were called to a persons reported fire in he early hours of this morning.

"A fire broke out in an oven situated in the kitchen.

"Thankfully, on this occasion, there was a smoke alarm fitted and neighbours were able to raise the alarm which potentially averted a much more serious situation.

"We gained entry to the property and carried the children out and escorted the mother to safety.

"We then extinguished the fire and used fans to disperse the smoke.

"Damage was kept to a minimum thanks to the prompt actions of the fire service personnel."

The current condition of the family is not known, although nobody is thought to have been seriously harmed in the incident.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.