A MAN has been rescued by firefighters after suffering smoke inhalation during a kitchen fire at his home.The man, in his 60s, had to be rescued from his warden-controlled home in Arnhem Road, Chelmsford, at about 7.

A MAN has been rescued by firefighters after suffering smoke inhalation during a kitchen fire at his home.

The man, in his 60s, had to be rescued from his warden-controlled home in Arnhem Road, Chelmsford, at about 7.45pm last night when he fell asleep after beginning to cook his dinner.

Crews from Chelmsford and Baddow were called to the scene and used two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel to tackle the blaze, which was extinguished by about 8pm.

Station Officer Alan Cutter said: “The man had put his dinner on and then fallen asleep and the house filled with smoke. He lived in warden controlled accommodation with an automatic alarm which notified the fire service.”

He said the duty warden had a spare key to the property and was able to let crews in and lead the man out to safety.

He added: “He suffered slight smoke inhalation and we called an ambulance but it was more of a precaution than anything.

“The fire was dealt with quickly as it was very small and we were glad to see that the man hadn't suffered too badly as a result of his ordeal.”