A MAN has been left 'absolutely devastated' after a fire tore through his flat, leaving him homeless.

Crews were called out to the blaze in Poplar Avenue, Horwich, on Tuesday after Trevor McAndrew, aged 47, escaped his home when his fridge caught fire.

It began at around 5pm and caused severe fire and smoke damage to the kitchen as well as smoke damage to the hallway, living room and bathroom.

The bedroom escaped with minor damage and Mr McAndrew's cat Bailey survived the fire. Nobody else lives in the property.

Mr McAndrew said: "Something tripped the power. So I went to switch it back on and I heard a popping noise coming from behind the fridge.

"Then I saw the flames and I could not have controlled them so that's why I got out and told my neighbours to get out of their homes.

"I am absolutely devastated because I have lost everything. I don't know what I am going to do."

He said he has got in touch with Places For People Housing Association, which owns the flat, to see if they can rehome him.

A neighbour from across the main road, who did not wish to be named, said they had offered Mr McAndrew a place to stay while everything gets sorted.

They had rushed over to comfort Mr McAndrew when he saw the smoke and the fire engines.

He said: "I live nearby and I saw the fire engine coming so I looked out the window.

"There was one fire engine, then there were two so I thought there must be something serious going on.

"I came outside and I saw the smoke coming from the property and going through the ginnel. It was black smoke.

"I saw Trevor and I tried to comfort him."

A spokesman for the fire service said two crews, on from Horwich and one from Bolton Central, were sent to the incident and said the flat had sustained 'serious fire damage'.

Nobody was injured and the fridge was moved out of the house to the garden.