AN elderly couple were forced to escape from their bungalow after a fire started in the kitchen.

The blaze was triggered by an electrical fault in the dishwasher at the property in Stitch Mi Lane in Harwood at about 10.30pm last night.

The couple were alerted to the fire when a smoke alarm went off and were able to make their way out of the house.

Luckily, the door to the kitchen area was firmly closed, which meant the blaze did not spread to the rest of the property.

Firefighters were called and entered the bungalow, using hose reels to put out the well developed fire.

The elderly gentleman was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital as a precaution.

It is thought about 20 per cent of the kitchen area was badly damaged by the blaze.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "One again we can see the vital importance of having a working smoke alarm in your house.

"I would also say that you should only operate appliances like dishwashers and tumble-dryers while you are in the house as electrical faults like this can happen at any time."