A 71-year-old man escaped from his burning home after a midnight blaze began.
The pensioner was awoken by neighbours 'running over with hosepipes' in the early hours of Monday morning, his son told the Manchester Evening News .
Just after midnight, residents of Rutland Road in Tyldesley saw the blaze beginning and rushed over to alert the elderly man to the blaze.
The group then helped to get him out of the house through the front door as flames leapt up one wall.
The fire is believed to have started outside the man's home, said the victim's son, melting wheelie bins before burning down his shed and fence.
The blaze then began to spread up the side wall of the home - burning cladding, breaking a window and scorching a large tree in the man's front garden.
Residents tried to extinguish the fire with their garden hoses before three fire engines arrived, which spent around an hour fighting the flames.
The man was left 'shaken' but escaped with no injuries and has since returned to his home.
Still, the 71-year-old man's son, who wished not to be named, said the damage could cost 'thousands of pounds to fix'.
It is not yet known what caused the blaze.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to reports of a fire on Rutland Road, Tyldesley, at 12.28am on Monday, 28 September.
"Three fire engines from Farnworth and Atherton quickly attended the scene.
“The fire involved a shed and fencing. Firefighters used two hose reels and one short extension ladder to extinguish the fire.
“Fire crews were in attendance for around an hour.”
Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.
