A couple and their six children were forced to flee their beds in the middle of the night after fire broke out and spread through the house.

Amanda and Michael Holmes, and their six children were all at home in Middleton when Michael, 36, started to smell burning at about midnight.

After going to investigate in the utility room of their Durnford Street home, Michael started to panic when he saw flames coming from underneath the freezer, and started screaming in an attempt to wake up Amanda and the six children.

Speaking outside the fire-ravaged home this morning, Amanda, 33, said: “My husband said he could smell a disinfectant-type smell, and at first it was the power that went out, so he went into the utility room to see if something had tripped.

“His cousin was there too, and he shouted ‘I can see smoke’ and then they both saw the freezer was on fire, and flames were coming out from underneath.”

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Amanda described how she awoken by screaming as her husband tried to alert the family to the growing fire downstairs.

She said: “I heard screaming so I ran downstairs and Michael was stood there screaming ‘get the kids out, get the kids out. I panicked so much.”

“My 16-year-old daughter came down to see what was going on and started to wake the other children up and get them out and away from the house.”

“I have two autistic sons too, and when I told my 13-year-old Robert what happened he was just absolutely devastated.”

The couple’s oldest child, daughter Jamie-Leigh, 16, rounded up the children, who were all still in their pyjamas, and took them outside to wait for their parents to escape the flames, which were starting to engulf the whole house.

Amanda and Michael soon followed the children outside, but Michael decided to tackle the flames and thick smoke to save their dog, Gizmo, who was still inside the burning house.

A fund for Manchester Evening News readers to raise money for the family has been set up. Donate by clicking below...

Neighbours on Durnford Street raced to help the family and took care of the children while Amanda and Michael waited an agonising half-an-hour for the fire brigade to arrive.

Amanda added: “That wait felt like a lifetime as we were stood outside just watching our house. I couldn’t believe it was happening really.

“I felt like my whole world had ended, our home was just everything and it’s all just gone. All the children’s toys and clothes - everything.”

The family are now trying to salvage anything they can from the remnants of their home, in a desperate attempt to start re-building their lives.

Three crews, including standby teams drafted in to provide cover for a 24-hour national strike by firefighters, were sent to tackle the blaze at 12.10am.

They spent six hours fighting the flames with hoses, but the fire tore through the entire two-storey property.