THREE people had a "lucky escape" at a house in the Bradford district after a dishwasher caught fire minutes after they had gone to bed.

Two women and a man fled the semi-detached property on Leathley Avenue, Menston, after smelling smoke.

They were taken to Airedale General Hospital, in Steeton, where they were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Now a fire chief has issued a warning to people to never leave household appliances on overnight or when they go out.

Fire crews from Rawdon and Shipley stations were called to the house at about 10.50pm on Thursday.

The female homeowner had gone to bed, as had her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend. The dishwasher had been left on in the kitchen.

Minutes later, they could smell smoke.

Crew commander Ian Rawsthorne, of Rawdon station, said the homeowner went downstairs to see flames pouring out from under the kitchen work-surface.

And he spoke of how the house occupants had been fortunate the consequences had not been more severe.

Crew commander Rawsthorne said: "They had a lucky escape. If it had happened 30 minutes later we could have been looking at something more serious.

"They are very, very lucky. They did not have smoke detectors. They had bought some but not fitted them - and we offer a free service for that."

Crew commander Rawsthorne said firefighters also rescued a scared cat that ran into the house.

He added: "We do not advise leaving appliances on when going to bed or when going out. Something went wrong with the dishwasher, probably an electrical fault.

"Luckily they had only just gone to bed. They smelt the smoke and got out.

"There was lots of thick, black, acrid smoke because there was lots of rubbers and plastics involved. There was smoke coming out of the bedroom windows and the doors when we got there. We pulled round the corner into Menston and the lad who was driving said there was a lot of smoke.

"It is a very scary thing."

Crew commander Rawsthorne said the kitchen was badly damaged in the blaze, but that the rest of the house was not damaged despite being heavily smoke-logged.

Firefighters had to isolate the gas, electricity and water supply at the house, as well.

Earlier this year, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service backed a new website calling for people to register their appliances for a safer home.

The website www.registermyappliance.org.uk encourages the public to register electrical appliances purchased in the past 12 years, and owners will be contacted if a safety repair is needed or a recall notice issued.

The website also provides product and household safety advice, appliance care and consumer protection information.