Fire chiefs issue smoke alarm warning after elderly man saves neighbour from chip pan blaze

At 11.52am on Thursday, fire crews from Alfreton and Matlock were mobilised to a chip pan fire at a property on Grange Street in Alfreton.

An elderly neighbour, who visits the woman of the property everyday for lunch, discovered the fire and the alarm was raised.

The man heard the smoke alarm sounding and on entry into the property discovered the occupant on the floor having suffered a fall whilst responding to the fire alarm. He safely removed the pan from the property and await the arrival of the fire brigade.

On arrival, crews were able to ventilate the property and safely pass the care of both people over to the ambulance service.

Crew manager, Wayne Boston, said: “This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of having working smoke alarms on every level of the home and testing them weekly – today’s incident shows that not only do smoke alarms alert you to the presence of a fire, but also neighbours or passers-by who may be able to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency.

“It’s so easy to forget our elderly friends, neighbours and relatives, but this incident also highlights the need to think about our elderly community and taking a minute out of our busy lives, to check that they are okay.”

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free Winter wellbeing checks for anyone over the age of 60 as part of the Age UK ‘Ice’ initiative. If you would like to arrange a visit for yourself, or for someone you know, visit www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/keeping-safe/home-fire-safety-check/winter-ready-check.