2:01pm Tuesday 6th January 2009
By Joanna Lean
SMOKE alarms saved a man’s life after he fell asleep smoking a cigarette and set his bedroom alight.
Crews from Stockton Heath and Warrington fire stations raced to his flat, on Northway, Statham, early on Monday morning.
The 65-year-old man had escaped the building after being roused by smoke alarms.
His lit cigarette had fallen onto a pile of newspapers by his bed, some of which were soaked in vodka.
The fire then spread to some clothes that were on the floor.
That started smoking and set off the alarms in his flat.
A neighbour called 999 while the man escaped the flat.
Firefighters wearing breathing equipment went into the flat to extinguish the flames.
It was not badly fire damaged, but there is moderate smoke damage to the property.
“If it wasn’t for the smoke alarm he may not have woken up,” said Stockton Heath crew manager Steve McIntosh.
He urged people not to smoke in bed and to be aware of their surroundings and escape route should they need one.
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