It is believed an electrical fault started the fire in the living room of the home in Hoyland, during the early hours of last Monday morning.
While the Milton Road property filled with plumes of choking black smoke, the family were sound asleep in their bedrooms.

They had no smoke alarm, but their pet dog alerted them by barking and they managed to escape unharmed.

The parents, both in their 50s, along with their two teenage daughters waited at a neighbour's home while firefighters put the blaze out.

Firefighters from Barnsley and Tankersley stations arrived just after 3am, and entered the house wearing breathing apparatus.

They used hose reels to extinguish the blaze, and were at the scene for about two hours.

The fire caused extensive damage to the living room and heavily smoke-logged other rooms.

Watch manager John Dale said: "The family have been extremely lucky to survive this fire, it spread rapidly.

"No smoke alarms were fitted and the house was completely gutted."

Firefighters have pledged to fit smoke alarms in the property. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

* A YOUNG couple were lucky not to be seriously hurt after their chip pan burst into flames at their house in Wombwell.

On spotting the fire, the man picked up the burning pan and carried it into the garden... before his girlfriend threw a bowl of water over it, causing flames to shoot into the air.

Firefighters who attended the incident, in Hough Lane on October 29 evening, said both could have been seriously injured.

Crew Manager Nigel Bailey, from Brampton Station, said: "We are always demonstrating at safety events what can happen if you throw water over a burning chip pan. The consequences can be deadly.

"The safest advice for anyone who suffers a chip pan fire is to go nowhere near it – get out, stay out and call the fire service.

Firefighters will be returning to the property later to fit free smoke alarms.