AN 87-year-old woman from Leigh was lucky to be alive after a blaze swept through her home.

The fire started after homeowner Edith Lewis had left a chip pan on the cooker at the house in Abbey Street.

Mrs Lewis was out of the kitchen for a few minutes when the blaze began.

She got herself out of her home and called firefighters at 9pm.

The kitchen and living room were wrecked by the blaze. Mrs Lewis has since gone to stay with her son in Wales.

Firefighters spent one hour at the scene.

The house did not have a fire alarm.

Leigh Station officer Paul Sharples warned people of the dangers of not having a smoke alarm.

He urged people to take advantage of the free home risk assessments being carried out by Greater Manchester Fire Service.