TWO women were rescued by firefighters as a blaze threatened to engulf their Breightmet home.

An 80-year-old pensioner with a broken leg and her 52-year-old daughter were carried to safety from the terraced house in Bailey Lane early yesterday.

Both were taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke. They were released after checks.

The blaze began in an upstairs bedroom at 2.30am. Fire chiefs said the fire was started by a cigarette which had not been put out properly.

The daughter was woken by a smoke alarm and found her bedding alight. She ran to alert her mother who was asleep in a downstairs bedroom. They dialled 999 and the pair were carried to safety as thick smoke engulfed the house.

Sub-officer Karsten Boyle, of Bolton North Fire Station, said: "The smoke alarm saved the lives of two people. Alarms should be regularly checked and properly maintained."

The blaze was quickly brought under control. It was confined to the bedroom where there was minor damage, but the house was badly smoke-logged.