A MAN rescued from a burning building today spoke of his relief and said firefighters "saved my life".

Dave Edwards was asleep in his first floor flat, in Todmorden Road, Bacup, when a fire was deliberately started on the ground floor on Saturday.

Fire investigation officers were today examining the cause of the suspicious blaze.

The 22-year-old said he was woken by his girlfriend Gemma France, 18, who heard firefighters shouting for them to flee the building.

He said: "I woke up and the house was full of black smoke. I couldn't even see my girlfriend.

"I heard shouting and it was the fire brigade telling us to get out.

"They put a ladder up to the bedroom window and we climbed out. I was scared for my life. I looked out of the kitchen window and there were flames coming up.

"I am pleased they got here when they did because if it had gone on much longer I think I would have died."

Police alerted the fire brigade to the blaze at the block of three flats shortly before 8am on Saturday.

Three appliances from Bacup and Rawtenstall attended. A third person, trapped in a second floor flat, was also rescued.

He was treated by ambulance crew for smoke inhalation but declined hospital treatment.

The fire, which started in the lounge of the downstairs flat, severely damaged the room and caused smoke damage to the other rooms and upstairs flats.

Bacup station commander Steve Kennedy said the flats were not fitted with smoke alarms.

He said: "The fire was started deliberately. The fire investigation dog has been because we suspected accelerants might have been used, but there was no evidence of this so investigations are ongoing."

Anyone wishing to have a smoke alarm fitted can do free of charge by the fire service by calling freephone 0800 169 1125.