A QUICK-thinking truck driver kicked in the door of a house on fire to check for signs of life after spotting billowing smoke while passing by.

The blaze is believed to have accidentally broke out in the mid-terraced home in Bridgewater Road, Walkden, at 1.40pm today.

Flames had taken hold in a front bedroom on the first floor of the property close to Worsley Leisure Centre.

Laura Beaumont, from Leigh, was driving south down Bridgewater Road behind a red tipper truck driven by a man thought to be in his 40s.

They both pulled over having noticed the danger and were the first on the scene.

She said: "The smoke was coming out of the top window and up over the roof.

"There didn't seem to be anyone else who noticed.

"He got out of the truck and I rang 999 and reported the fire.

"He ran over to the house and started banging on the door and banging on the next door neighbour's as well.

"We knocked on doors, three or four doors, either side and there was a neighbour who didn't think anyone was in the house on fire but thought he had heard a dog barking.

"The guy from the truck kicked in the door to see if there was anyone downstairs and if there was a dog or not.

"He didn't seem concerned. He was worried about somebody being home because the curtains were closed downstairs.

"Luckily a police car turned up that must have been passing and then the fire brigade, and we got out of the way.

"Literally two minutes after I called 999 the fire brigade was there.

"They were fantastic."

Mrs Beaumont said it turned out nobody was present at the house when the blaze broke out.

Amateur video shot by a local showed grey smoke rising steadily from the bedroom window.

Part of the street was closed by police and traffic redirected by officers as the scene developed.

Firefighters from Farnworth and Irlam, and later Bolton Central, fought the blaze with breathing apparatus and water jets.

Staff confirmed the leisure centre's operations were not affected by the fire-fighting mission or the road closures.

Police are not investigating the blaze as a crime.

n Video by Robert McKie