A MAN who fell asleep with a pan of fat on the cooker was rescued by firefighters - thanks to a smoke alarm fitted by the fire service just three weeks ago.

Roddy Ashworth

A MAN who fell asleep with a pan of fat on the cooker was rescued by firefighters - thanks to a smoke alarm fitted by the fire service just three weeks ago.

Crews rescued the man from his smoke-filled flat, at Sandra Court on South Street, Colchester, at lunchtime on Saturday after they were alerted by a neighbour who heard the alarm and then saw that the premises was full of smoke.

Two firefighters entered the property wearing breathing apparatus and carried the unconscious man to safety.

They discovered that the flat had been smoke-logged by a wok which was left on the stove with cooking oil in it.

Station officer Pete Holding said: “The man was fast asleep and slept through the sound of his smoke alarm going off.

“If a crew from Colchester had not visited this man's flat and fitted a smoke alarm then he might not be alive today.

“Incidents like this show the importance of smoke alarms and the danger of leaving cooking unattended.

“Had the neighbour not called the service the man could well have suffocated on the smoke filling his home.”