FAMILIES fled from three terrace houses after a home was torched - two weeks after a drugs raid against organised criminals.

Flames ripped through the roof of the end terrace and neighbouring property and two more homes were filled with smoke.

No one was in the targeted house in Marsden Street, Accrington, at the time.

Detectives are probing whether the arson attack was linked to the raid which was part of the week-long Protecting People crackdown.

County-wide it resulted in police seizing £130,000 of drugs and making 198 arrests.

The end-terrace property was left gutted by the fire.

Residents were evacuated as large flames spread to a neighbouring roof and filled homes up to four doors away with smoke.

One couple, who lived a few doors away, woke to find themselves in a smoke-filled bedroom.

They had just enough time to rouse their two young children, aged six and one, and make their way to the safety of the street at around 1.20am this morning.

The alarm had been raised by another couple who live nearby who heard loud banging noises before noticing a strong smell of smoke.

They contacted the fire service and waited outside with other residents until firefighters arrived.

A neighbour also filmed the dramtic moment flames swept through the roof on a mobile phone.

One neighbour said: "I was asleep and it was my wife who saw the smoke.

"We got the kids up and made our way outside as quickly as possible."

Another resident said: "We didn't know there was a fire until we heard the sirens.

"I couldn't believe how high the flames were on the roof."

The end terraced home was raided by police on Monday May 19.

Although eight people were arrested at four other addresses in Hyndburn on that day, no arrrests were made in Marsden Street and no drugs were found on the property.

Detectives said they were to probe possible drug links to the fire in what they describe as "an open investigation" where "nothing is being ruled out."

Firefighters and forensic teams are trying to trace the cause of the blaze.

No-one was injured in the fire and police attempting to track down the owner of the house.

Detective Inspector Stephen Dowson appealed for witnesses to help in their investigation.

He said: "We are currently exploring all avenues of inquiry and are not ruling anything out.

"The investigation is not linked to any other incidents at this stage.

"I would appeal for any witnesses to get in touch."

At around 10am, firefighters were still discovering smouldering pockets of fire inside the house.

Firefighters continued to inspect the house, preventing burning embers from travelling to neighbouring homes.

They also used thermal imaging cameras to detect hot-spots and checked the roof-space from the aerial ladder platform.

Anyone with information is asked to call Accrington CID on 353741.