Firemen rescue man from ‘chip pan fire’

The incident prompted a local fire chief to warn people of the dangers of using traditional chip and grill pans.

A fire service crew responded to a report by neighbours of a smoke alarm activating at a house in Daneshill Road, Coleraine around 9.30pm on Tuesday.

Two fire engines from Coleraine and a Station Commander attended the incident.

There was no immediate signs of fire but on a search of the perimeter of the premises officers noticed smoke in the kitchen.

They broke in through the front door of the premises and two teams of two firefighters in breathing apparatus searched the first floor.

The building was smoke logged and shortly after they brought out the owner, a 57-year-old man, who had been asleep on his bed. The victim was givenoxygenand treatment at the scene

The fire crews then ventilated the premises and confirmed the cause of the smoke to be a chip pan.

A paramedic and an ambulance took tha man to Causeway Hospital suffering with smoke inhalation

Chip and grill pans are one of the most common causes of fire in the home.

Ten such fires have occurred in the last 12 months in the Coleraine District which takes in Coleraine, Portstewart, Portrush, Ballymoney, Ballycastle and Rathlin.

Speaking during National Chip Week 
Station Commander Andy Deal is urging people to put safety first when it comes to cooking to help protect themselves and their family from the dangers of fire.

He said: “Our advice is that you stop using a traditional chip pan and invest in an electric temperature controlled deep fat fryer or cook your chips in the oven.

“If it isn’t possible to give up using a chip pan in your home be sure to carefully follow our all year round fire safety advice to reduce fire hazards and cook safely.

“The public should also note the life saving qualities of a working smoke alarm which in this case saved this man’s life.”