Fire crew rescues man who left cooker on

Fire crews were called at five to midnight to a flat on Pelham Road where a passer-by had seen smoke coming out of the letterbox.

Three appliances attended the scene, where upon entering the flat, the crew found a man asleep.

A cooking pan had been left on where a fire had developed and covered the flat in smoke.

The man was evacuated by fire crew and checked by paramedics, but was not taken to hospital.

The flat was ventilated by staff and a smoke alarm was installed for the resident.

A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: “The fire was caused by unattended cooking.

“People are under the impression smoke wakes everyone up, and there was no smoke alarm so we recommend everyone has one installed.

“Cooking-related incidents cover more than half of the calls we get in the Sussex area. The person was cooking late at night and fell asleep, so please try and avoid this. If you are hungry, and if you have been drinking, please try to eat something that doesn’t involve the use of a cooking appliance.”

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