A WOMAN was rescued through a bedroom window at her Nelson home after being woken by the sound of an explosion in the electricity meter cupboard.

Francesca Di Giorigio was fast asleep in her house in Lane Ends, Nelson when she was awakened at 6.30am by a noise like a loud crack.

She said: "I got up to investigate. I went downstairs and saw smoke through the glass in the door. I pulled the door to, went back upstairs and called out the fire brigade."

Francesca, 30, a civilian worker at Burnley police station, said: "I am well aware of the dangers of fire and smoke.

"You can't be too careful and I didn't want to attempt to get out through the smoke.

"The firefighters were here quickly and helped me out through the bedroom window."

Leading Firefighter Roy Waddington said: "She did everything right. She closed the door between the fire and herself and called us out. We put a ladder up to the front bedroom window and helped her down."

Damage was confined to the electricity meter area, which was today being examined by electricity engineers.