WILTSHIRE Fire Brigade says a man whose chip pan burst into flames after he fell asleep was lucky to be alive.
At about 6am on Saturday, firefighters from Stratton St Margaret and Swindon Central were called to a kitchen blaze at a house in Charlton Close, Penhill.
They discovered that the man living at the address, who fell asleep after putting chips on to cook, had disconnected the smoke alarm.
He was woken by smoke from the chip pan fire and was able to make his way to safety.
"The occupier said he disconnected the smoke alarm because, every time he cooked, the alarm went off. This suggests that the alarm was positioned in the wrong location and should have been moved.
"Bizarrely, incidents of this nature continue to be a common occurrence, possibly costing someone their life."
The man, who was treated for smoke inhalation, was given temporary accommodation through the Fire Victim Support Scheme.
This is a partnership between Wiltshire Fire Brigade and the British Red Cross which helps people in the aftermath of a fire.
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