The condition of a 14-month-old baby boy who was badly burned after stumbling into a gas fire at his home was today described as "stable".

The toddler's mother heard the smoke alarm go off and rushed into her living room to find his clothes alight.

Firefighters called to the house in Wolfenden Street, Halliwell, gave the badly-burned toddler first aid and wrapped him in specialist burns dressings before handing him to paramedics.

Sufaiya Darvsh and her husband, Hanif, were at baby Hamzah's bedside in the specialist burns unit at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, and were being comforted by family and friends.

He underwent surgery last night.

Mrs Darvsh's brother, Osman Ali, aged 42, said: "My sister is very upset. I was at work when it happened and was very shocked when I heard.

"I don't know what happened. They have told me they are still investigating. The baby is going to be kept in because he's got burns on his legs.

"It's shocking. Hamzah is a very lively boy and very active."

Mr Ali is looking after his sister's three other children: Yasin, aged 13, Naeem, aged 10, and Nazira, aged eight.

Three fire engines were called to the house at around 11.10am yesterday.

Neighbour Nicola Hesketh, aged 24, said: "The first I heard was the sirens. One fire engine had arrived and another two came, followed by the police and an ambulance.

"Then I saw the baby being carried out. A fire officer brought him out and got him into the ambulance and then they were gone.

"It's shocking when something like this happens."

Vickie Wilkinson, aged 21, who lives two doors away, said: "The first thing I knew about it was when I heard the sirens. I jumped up and ran to the front door and that's when I saw the fire engine."

Another neighbour added: "They have been in the street a long time and they're really nice people. It seems to be a terrible accident. I just hope the little boy is okay."

Fire service investigator Gary Bailey said officers had fitted two smoke alarms to the house in November, 2005, during a home fire risk assessment.

He said: "The smoke detector went off and alerted the mother, who was away from the room at the time.

"She's been able to extinguish the flames and limit the injuries. Had that smoke alarm not been fitted, the child might not have made it to hospital."

Initial investigations have found no fault with the gas fire.

A police spokesman said: "Police were called to a house in Wolfenden Street following reports that a baby had been badly burned.

"When officers arrived, the family had gone to hospital with the little boy, who is 14 months old.

"He was badly burned whilst inside the house in an incident believed to involve a gas fire. "