SMOKE alarms almost certainly saved the life of a Barnoldswick woman when her home was completely gutted by fire.

Every room of Jack and Sheila Hoyle's home on Conway Crescent was affected by the blaze, with fire officers saying it was among the worst damage they'd seen from a fire with a single point of origin.

Mrs Hoyle was upstairs in bed when the fire broke out in the downstairs front lounge on Tuesday morning. Her husband was out walking their pet dog.

The couple had fitted two smoke alarms to their home and that few pounds of investment almost certainly saved Mrs Hoyle's life. Both alarms sounded and she was able to get out of the house just in time.

The fire service was called, but the flames quickly spread and when fire crews arrived both floors of the house were well alight.

The call to the fire brigade was made at approximately 7.30am and both Barnoldswick pumps and the one from Earby attended the blaze.

Leading firefighter Michael Strickland, from Barnoldswick fire station, said the property was well alight when the first crew arrived. Firefighters managed to control then extinguish the fire and stayed at the scene until almost 11am damping down.

Although Mrs Hoyle was uninjured, she was taken to hospital where she was treated for shock.

Station officer Kevin Murray, from Burnley Fire Station, said the most likely cause of the fire was a carelessly discarded cigarette or other smoking material in the front lounge. He said Mrs Hoyle had been lucky to escape, praising the couple for fitting and maintaining their smoke alarms.

"The house is absolutely gutted, completely destroyed, and it was only because the smoke alarms were activated that the lady was able to get out in time," said Mr Murray. "Their next door neighbour didn't have a smoke alarm - but he has now. We fitted one for him while we were there."

By coincidence, this month sees a national campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of carelessly discarded smoking materials.

The "Put it out - right out" campaign is backed by the Government and promoted by fire and rescue services across the country.

Mr Murray said in Lancashire alone, 30 per cent of fatalities from fires were caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials. Nationally, 140 deaths and more than 1,800 serious injuries were caused each year by fires started in that way.

The key points of the campaign are: never smoke in bed, never leave lit cigarettes lying around, use a proper ashtray that can't be knocked over, take special care when you are tired or have been drinking, keep matches and lighters away from children and fit a smoke alarm.

The campaign also highlights the fact that while the average cost of a packet of cigarettes is £4.17, the average cost of damage caused by a house fire is £21,500.

Mr Murray said he expected the cost at Barnoldswick would be double that, because the fire damage was so extensive.