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A young family fled their Wigan home after one of the pet cats triggered an early morning kitchen blaze.

The moggie was walking across the work surfaces at the house in Heather Grove, Worsley Hall, when it stepped on a touch control for the halogen hob.

Unfortunately the owners had forgotten on this occasion to turn the cooker off at the wall and there had been some cardboard boxes piled on top which heated up and burst into flames.

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A general view of Heather Grove in Worsley Hall where an early morning fire broke out caused by a pet cat

Fortunately the house was fitted with smoke alarms which quickly woke the couple and their young child at 6am today (Wednesday August 23) and they immediately got out of the house along with their cats.

With the fire station only a couple of minutes away, two engines were very rapidly on scene and the incident was tackled without damage to anything other than the cardboard itself.

Watch manager Mike Fairhurst said: “The smoke alarms really did their job and it was also handy that the house is so close to the station.

"The lady said she normally switches off the cooker at the wall – which is a sound piece of advice to everyone – but forgot on this occasion.

"The other lesson to be learnt though is that you shouldn’t put flammable objects on top of a hob whether it’s swtiched on or not.”

The crews were at the address for little more than half an hour, after which the family and their pets were safely able to return inside.

Cat blamed for triggering kitchen fire in Wigan family home