FIRE crews were called out to deal with two separate incidents involving people falling asleep while cooking in East Lancashire.

Neighbours were alerted by the smoke alarm going off in a first-floor flat in Birkbeck Way, Daneshouse, Burnley, at around 9pm on Thursday.

After neighbours dialled 999, the noise made by firefighters breaking in finally woke the occupant, a 47-year-old man, who was then led to safety.

Crew manager Keith Ogden said: “There had been some food left on the grill which caused the fire, and the occupant had fallen asleep in the living room and didn’t hear the alarm.

“Thankfully, the alarm has sav- ed him because the neighbours heard it and called us.”

He said the man was suffering from smoke inhalation, but ref-used treatment by paramedics. The flat suffered smoke dam-age.

Fire crews were called to a home in Howard Close, in Accrington, after a couple fell asleep with the grill left on.

The couple, both in their 50s, were alerted by their smoke alarm just after 8pm on Thur-sday, and evacuated the prop-erty safely. Firefighters arrived soon after and ventilated the property.

A fire also broke out in a Blackburn flat in the early hours of yesterday, badly damaging the kitchen.

Firefighters said the two occ-upants of the property, in Silv-erdale Close, Highercroft, were alerted by their smoke alarm at about 2.50am.

The couple, who were both in their 20s, evacuated the ground floor flat, and were taken to hospital for precautionary ch-ecks after emergency services arrived.

A faulty fridge was suspected of sparking the blaze. There was severe smoke damage to the flat.

A smoke alarm also alerted a resident to a fire in the living room of a home, in Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle, at about 9.40pm, which was sparked by a candle left unattended. It dam-aged the hearth area.