A FATHER-of-two has warned of the dangers of late night cooking after his family were lucky to escape a fire at their home.

Paul Dewhurst, 46, is counting the cost of the blaze that ripped through the kitchen at the house in Siddows Avenue, Clitheroe, early today.

Fire chiefs said it was only by 'pure chance' that no-one died in the fire.

Mr Dewhurst told how he had to help his wife, Sarah, 38, and sons Callum, 15, and Jacob, 13, leave the house, which was uninsured, as the flames took hold at around 5.30am.

He had left a pizza unattended under the grill. He also warned people to keep batteries in their smoke alarms after he failed to maintain his.

He explained: "I'd taken our two dogs for a walk and was feeling a bit peckish, so I thought I'd put a pizza on.

"I went upstairs to get changed, because my clothes were dirty after being out with the dogs. I must have fallen asleep then. The next thing I know, Sarah woke me up to say she could smell burning.

"Everybody came downstairs and I made sure they left the house and the gas was turned off. In the meantime, Sarah called the fire brigade and I put a wet towel over the flames which were coming through the hob from the grill underneath. I got out and let the fire brigade take over."

The fire destroyed part of the kitchen and left the downstairs smoke damaged.

Mr Dewhurst added: "There was no battery in the smoke alarm and I left food under the grill and went to sleep - I class myself as very lucky."

Clitheroe station officer Dave McGrath said "It is only by pure chance that there were not four fatalities. There were no batteries in the smoke alarm, they had no escape route. It was a recipe for tragedy." Mr McGrath said householders could ring a free advice line - 0800 1691125 - to get a smoke alarm fitted and a free fire survey on their house.