Phil Thompson, who works for Lancashire Ambulance Service, was driving through Plungington in the early hours of yesterday when he spotted the blaze.

Furniture outside a terraced house on Blackpool Road had been set on fire and the blaze was spreading to the property.

Mr Thompson used a fire extinguisher he was carrying to tackle the blaze, but realised he needed more help and called the fire brigade at 1.49am.

He started throwing objects at the windows of the house in a bid to wake the occupants.

A group of people, including some Lithuanians, came to the upstairs window, but decided not to leave.

Firefighters from Preston attended. Watch manager Paul Harris said: "They felt they were safer in the building. It's not something we would want them to do. They were quite fortunate."

The furniture was destroyed, a window was cracked by the heat and a window frame was also damaged. There was smoke damage to a downstairs bedroom.

Arsonists started two more fires in the same area yesterday morning.

Firefighters were called to deal with two blazing wheelie bins on Broughton Street, at 4.20am and 4.30am.