Pensioner rescued from smoke filled flat

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A PENSIONER was rescued from her flat by firefighters after a chip pan fire filled her home with smoke.

Three fire crews were called to the Henwick House flats in St Clements Close at 1.50pm on Tuesday (January 25) after a smoke alarm went off.

They found one of the flats filled with smoke from where a pan of oil in the kitchen had overheated.

Firefighters led an elderly woman from the flat and she was treated at the scene by paramedics for the effects of smoke inhalation. Crews then used special equipment to clear the smoke from the property.

The fire caused slight smoke damage in the kitchen but the other flats were unaffected.

Watch Commander Keith Peters, from HWFRS, praised residents at the flats for following fire safety procedures.

He said: “While an early alert from the smoke alarm helped minimise the impact of this incident, the co-operation from the occupants of nearby flats also played a part and I’d like to pass on my thanks to them.”

He also reminded people to take note of the fire service’s kitchen safety advice which recommends cooking is never left unattended and that extra care is taken when using hot fat.

HWFRS also recommends deep fat fryers with thermostatic switches to prevent overheating.