A MAN was rescued from his smoke-filled flat after he fell asleep cooking food in the early hours of the morning.

Firefighters were called to Pettifer Way, High Wycombe, shortly before 2am on Saturday after a neighbour heard a smoke alarm going off in a flat on the top floor of the three-storey building.

They discovered a man fast-asleep on the sofa as smoke billowed from the grill in the kitchen and began to spread throughout the flat.

Crew manager Bill Lambrich from Wycombe fire station said: “We forced entry into the flat and found the man asleep on a sofa in the living room.

“Smoke from the food under the grill was starting to fill the kitchen and living room. The smoke alarm did its job, and he is very fortunate that it alerted another resident."

Firefighters helped the man out of the building and called an ambulance, before they ventilated the flat to clear the smoke.

Crew manager Lambrich has issued the following safety advice after the incident:

  • Don't start cooking if you are tired or have been drinking alcohol.
  • Carry out a weekly check on your smoke alarms by pushing the "test" button.
  • If you don't have smoke alarms, ring Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service on 01296 744477 or send an email to cs@bucksfire.gov.uk
  • Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build-up of fat and grease can easily lead to a fire.
  • Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove.
  • Take care if you are wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire.
  • Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
  • Double-check the cooker is off when you have finished cooking.
  • If you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn the heat right down to avoid risk.
  • Keep electrical leads and appliances away from water.
  • Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.