Man has lucky escape after falling asleep while cooking (From Croydon Guardian)

Man has lucky escape after falling asleep while cooking

9:10am Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

A man who fell asleep while cooking was lucky to escape uninjured after his food caught fire in the oven.

Firefighters from Croydon and Woodside fire stations were called to Outram Road, Addiscombe at 4.05pm yesterday, to reports of smoke.

Crews found a small fire had started in the oven and discovered the man, believed to be in his late 30's asleep on the sofa.

Watch Manager Tom Atkins said: "The man had a lucky escape, he had fallen asleep with the cooking on. We found him passed out on the sofa and helped him out the property before giving him oxygen.

"We then handed him over to the ambulance crew. Luckily he had a smoke alarm, and although he slept through it his neighbour heard it, which shows how important it is to have them."

Crews extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes and the man was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation.