A SNAKE was rescued as eight people fled a house fire in Little Hulton last night.
Firefighters said a small child playing with a lighter sparked the fire leading to the mass evacuation.
The youngster was in the back bedroom of the house in Moor Hey Road when the fire started just before 9pm last night.
Fortunately the boy's father was on hand and managed to evacuate his five children. Two other adults also fled the house.
The father also managed to rescue his furniture and the six-feet long red snake in a glass case and pet mice from the room which was badly damaged by the fire.
A crew from Farnworth fire station managed to stop the blaze spreading to other parts of the house.
A spokesman said: "The man was very concerned about getting the furniture and his pets, including the snake, out.
"The whole family is very fortunate nobody was hurt."
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