A FAMILY fled from its home early this morning as a burning car threatened to engulf the building.

The three adults and two children were forced to escape through the back door as the blaze raged at the front.

Heat from the burning Audi broke several windows of the house in St Mary's Road, Riddlesden, and damaged the front door.

Firefighters, uncertain if the house had been completely evacuated, carried out a full search.

Crews from Keighley, Bingley and Shipley were called out to the incident just after 2am.

"When we arrived the car was well alight and the flames were in danger of spreading into the house," said Keighley fire service watch commander Darrell Hird.

"The vehicle was parked so close to the front of the property it had prevented the occupants' escape through that route, but they exited safely from the back of the house."

The firefighters used two hose reels to bring the inferno under control and four crew members wearing breathing apparatus searched the property.

A special high-pressure ventilation fan was used to clear smoke from the building.

The inferno also fractured an external gas pipe and the occupants of a neighbouring property, which was slightly damaged in the fire, were evacuated for safety reasons.

Gas engineers attended to repair the leak.

Police and fire investigators are probing the cause of the blaze.