Greater Manchester Fire Brigade's Chris Tinsley: "Three girls were given oxygen"

Eight people in total were treated in hospital for burns and the effects of smoke inhalation - the Harvey family, a neighbour and a fireman.

Toddler Holly Harvey was rescued by her heavily-pregnant mother Julie, who passed her through a bedroom window to firefighters.

Mrs Harvey's other three daughters, Lisa Jane, aged three, Katie, six and Zoe, 10, lay unconscious inside the family home in Cheadle, near Manchester.

'Poorly, but stable'

They were rescued by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus who then rescucitated the children in front of the blazing property.

Their father Graham escaped by jumping from a second-floor window ledge, where neighbours broke his fall.

The fire brigade was called to the blaze, which is believed to have started in the conservatory or on the ground floor of the semi-detached property, just after 0230 GMT on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for South Manchester Hospitals Trust said that a "poorly, but stable" Mrs Harvey was being cared for at Withington Hospital, where her husband, in a "comfortable" conditon, was also being treated.

Holly is also comfortable at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Two other Harvey children were being treated at the burns unit of Booth Hall Hospital in Manchester. Their condition is understood to be stable.

'The conservatory just melted'

The remaining daughter was transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool where staff were unable to disclose her condition.

A fireman was also treated for cuts and burns and a neighbour who tried to help was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Neighbour Linda Cunliffe and daughter Jill described how they were woken up by screaming at 0230 GMT and said the scene was one of "pandemonium" as friends and neighbours tried to help the Harvey family.

Mrs Cunliffe said: "We didn't know what to do so we just went out with buckets of water, but when we saw the back of the house we realised it was no good. It was as if the conservatory had just melted."

Jill Cunliffe said: "The man who lives on the corner and two men who were passing by on their way home from a night out went to the front of the house and helped catch Graham as he jumped from the window.

"Julie was standing at the window not knowing what to do. She didn't want to jump and leave the children behind."