Young family flee flat after blaze breaks out

A young family had to flee their burning flat when a serious fire took hold.

Vincent Priestley, his partner Jorja Grounds, 22 and two-year-old son were at home in Bronte House, Lancaster, when the blaze broke out at 13:40 BST on Tuesday.

"We had to escape so quickly we didn't even taken any shoes for our son," Mr Priestley, 29, said.

The whole Lancaster City Council-owned block was evacuated, and the cause of the fire has not been established.

Mr Priestley told the BBC: "I just thought at first my partner had been cooking, but it was only when I came from my room I could see it was a fire.

"I was hysterical. I was shaking, my partner was crying, and it was only when we got outside that we calmed down.

"This is our first real home."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said six fire engines and the aerial ladder platform were attended the fire in Shakespeare Road, Lancaster.

It added: "Firefighters used breathing apparatus, one 45mm jet, one hose reel and the aerial ladder platform to tackle the fire."

A spokesman said that "hotspots" were still being monitored.

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