Women escape Wigan borough home after clothes accidentally catch fire

A halogen heater, which had been accidentally caught and switched on, set fire to clothing nearby.

The occupants of the house in Cecil Street, Leigh, tried to put the flames out with water but, when that was unsuccessful, rang 999 and got outside.

A crew from Leigh fire station, which received the call at 7.50pm on Thursday January 26, was quickly on the scene and managed to contain the damage to the heater and fabric.

Watch manager Michael Fairhurst said: “The smoke alarm going off alerted the ladies to the fire very quickly and so the damage was minimal.

"It was a pure accident. But this is a lesson to everyone to make sure that they have working smoke alarms fitted in their homes.”