A Toxteth flat is almost completely destroyed after a fire ripped through it this morning as people were trapped inside the building.
Photographs showed how one bedroom, where the blaze started, has been completely destroyed, and adjoining rooms seriously smoke damaged.
Crews rushed to Devonshire Road in Toxteth at around 1.30am today as flames tore through the building, close to Princes Park.
Two men from the first floor managed to escape, while two other men, who lived on the floor above, were trapped for around 30 minutes, residents said.
With the staircase engulfed by thick black smoke, they were seen at the window of the property, desperately calling for help, before firefighters managed to get inside to rescue them.
It was said hoods were flung over their heads to help guard against the billowing smoke as they were rushed to safety outside.
Bosses from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have hailed the work of fire control operators on the phone to the people who were trapped inside, providing reassurance and fire survival advice until crews were able to rescue them.
Today, the cause of the blaze was confirmed as accidental as it emerged it started when a man lit a fire in a grate, which got out of control, ignited the carpet and quickly spread.
Pictures taken by the ECHO showed the extent of the devastation left behind with a heap of burnt, completely blackened, and destroyed furniture and personal belongings.
In the bedroom where the fire started, an expensive keyboard and music amplifier were ruined, while in other rooms, the living room, nearby bedrooms, and the kitchen, were severely smoke damaged with thick black soot covering the walls.
The damage is estimated to run into many tens of thousands of pounds for the landlords who own the property.
Fire chiefs have said smoke alarms almost certainly saved the lives of the two residents who were trapped.
Station Manager Chris Barrett said: "Crews were faced with a well-developed fire in the bedroom of a flat on the first floor of the property.
"Firefighters acted quickly to not only extinguish the fire but to also rescue two people who were still inside and unable to leave due to the amount of smoke.
"On our arrival they were waiting at window to escape the smoke. Crews used smoke hoods to ensure they were able to bring these two people to safety outside and hand them into the care of waiting paramedics.
"Whilst the actions of firefighters ultimately saved these two individuals, the presence of working smoke alarms in the property were instrumental to giving them the early warning they needed to alert the emergency services to the fire."
He added: ""Smoke alarms save lives - that is a fact - but they cannot do that if they are not working or not there in the first place.
"We would urge residents across Merseyside to treat this fire as a cautionary tale and to make sure they have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of their home.
"Consider installing additional smoke alarms in rooms with electrical appliances or sleeping areas, and make sure you test your smoke alarms every week."
Two fire engines left the scene at 3.15am, with the final crew expected to leave the scene this morning.
