A WOMAN escaped from her blazing house after a cigarette started a fire in her living room.

The semi-detached house on Carlton Road, Heaton, was severely damaged by the blaze which broke out at 3.20am today.

Valerie Doyle, aged 58, was in bed directly above the fierce blaze which burned through the living room ceiling and destroyed the floor of her bedroom.

She has been described as "extremely lucky" by firefighters after she was wakened by a double-glazed window exploding with the extreme heat.

Mick Baron, leading firefighters at Bolton Central Fire Station, said: "This woman was very fortunate.

The double-glazed window exploded with a bang and it woke her.

"She was extremely lucky because there was no smoke alarm.

"If she hadn't woken up when she did, it would be a completely different story today."

The householder managed to escape down the fire-ravaged stairs before fleeing to Robert and Mary Peace next door to raise the alarm.

Jeanette and David Cook, who live next door, were woken by the noise of the blaze.

Mrs Cook said: "It was very fierce. All the flames were coming out of the window.

"We are so lucky. Our house could easily have gone up as well."

Mrs Doyle, who has four grown-up daughters, was offered a bed for the night by the Peace family but was then helped by her ex-husband.

The living room at the rear of the house, hall and stairway were severely damaged by the blaze.