A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy raised the alarm after he discovered a blaze in the bedroom of his house in Bury.

Firefighters were called to tackle the fire at the semi-detached house in Alfred Street, at around 11am on Saturday. The boy’s mother, aged 34, four other children and two cats were evacuated from the property, saying the fire had been sparked after a candle was left unattended.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, was taken to Fairfield Hospital after firefighters noticed black marks around her mouth and were concerned she could have inhaled smoke. She said: “I had lit a candle in the bedroom to get rid of the smell of damp and my son went up there to get something.

“He came downstairs saying there was a fire.

“Luckily the children had been outside on the trampoline and not in the bedroom. I was in the kitchen and did not realise the fire had started upstairs.

“The candle could have been knocked off by the wind or by the cat — I have no idea what happened.

“It was a mistake to buy it and leave it lit and I would advise people not to do the same.

“I will never make the same mistake again.

“The firefighters were fantastic and I would like to say a big thank you to them.”

It took firefighters from Bury and Whitefield stations around 20 minutes to bring the flames, which destroyed the bedroom and many family possessions, under control. Firefighters investigating the cause said it had initially pointed to flammable material setting alight, such as matches or candles.

Pete Fletcher, watch manager at Bury fire station, said: “This is a timely general reminder for people to check their smoke alarms and ensure they keep flammable items out of the sight.”