Five escape building after blaze breaks out in block of flats in Wigan area

A total of four fire engines were sent to the ground-floor property in Withington Lane, Aspull, at around 12.30am today.

The fire broke out in the hallway and the cause is believed to have been accidental. There was no-one in the flat at the time and the alarm was raised by smoke alarms.

However five people above the flat which was on fire suffered minor smoke inhalation while leaving the building and were taken to hospital.

Wigan fire station watch manager Mike Fairhurst said firefighters were at the scene for around two hours to deal with the fire and stop it spreading to any other flats in the building.

"The fire damage was confined to the hallway, with smoke damage to the rest of the flat," he said.