SIX dogs had to be rescued and three people including a baby were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a kitchen.

Firefighters were called Bath Street, Colne, after receiving a call from a worried neighbour who said she could see smoke coming into her home.

Gabrielle Wright had been taking a nap with her two young children, when she was woken around 1pm on Friday by a strong smell.

Miss Wright said: “I woke up and could smell smoke. I thought it was coming from somewhere outside but when I looked out of the back door I saw that it was coming from next door.

“I went back inside and could see the smoke had come through the walls and all my smoke alarms were going off so I called the fire brigade.”

Miss Wright said firefighters arrived within ten minutes and evacuated her and her two sons, two, and 10 weeks.

She added: “The lady next door had gone out but there were six dogs in the house, a budgie and a hamster.

“All the dogs were rescued but sadly the hamster and the budgie died.”

The 23-year-old said she has been left shocked and traumatised by the incident.

She said: “I was lucky to wake up because of the amount of smoke in my house. It’s really scared me and my eldest son was terrified too.

“We were taken to hospital where they told us our carbon monoxide levels were quite high.

“My house still smells really bad and next door is ruined.

“The lady, who I think is in her fifties, can’t go back in and has been staying with friends until she can find somewhere else to live.

“I just keep thinking about what would’ve happened if I hadn’t woken up.

“The smoke was so bad that it even spread through the loft space and into the other houses. The fire service were so good, they had it out in no time and used fans to clear the smoke.”

A fire service spokesman said crews from Burnley, Earby and Colne attended the incident.

He said: “Three people were taken to hospital for precautionary check-ups.

“Six dogs were rescued from the property.”

The cause of the fire is now under investigation.