Toddler rushed to hospital as four people rescued from house fire in Wigan

A three-year-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital after she was rescued from the burning terraced house on Haworth Street, Hindley, at around 2am on Saturday.

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Her father and his partner were also rescued by firefighters, while another three-year-old child was dropped from a first-floor window onto a blanket after the blaze broke out.

Four fire engines from stations across the borough rushed to the property to rescue the house's occupants.

Allan Dowell, watch manager at Hindley fire station, said: "The fire was believed to have originated in the kitchen. There was smoke throughout the house. It was highly smoke-logged.

"Members of the public tried to rescue them through a first-floor window with a ladder but were unsuccessful, though the first child to be rescued by the public was dropped out and caught on a blanket."

Crews wore breathing apparatus as they searched the property for the man, woman and girl.

They were all rescued, but the tot was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation and firefighters had to perform CPR.

Mr Dowell said: "She was unresponsive when she was taken out of the fire. The fire service managed to resuscitate and the infant was conveyed to hospital, we believe in a critical condition but it is looking positive."

All four people were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation and the woman was also taken to hospital for treatment.

Firefighters remained at the house for several hours, working to bring the blaze under control, damping down and removing debris.

The property was badly damaged by the blaze.

Fire investigators got to work at the house on Saturday morning to establish what happened, though the cause is not thought to be suspicious.