A man and his dog escaped unharmed after a blaze broke out in the kitchen of his Rugeley home.

John Heritage faces Christmas in temporary accommodation after his semi-detached house in Greenfields Avenue, of Green Lane, was gutted yesterday.

The fire broke out at about 9.45am.

A grill pan on the gas cooker in the kitchen had been left unattended and caught fire.

A smoke alarm went off and Mr Heritage, who lives alone and was upstairs, got his pet out of the house and managed to turn off the gas before firefighters arrived.

Station Commander Mick Jahn, of Cannock fire station, said the smoke alarm had saved Mr Heritage’s life.

“Without the alarm there is a chance he would not have got out in time,” he added.

At the height of the fire 25 firefighters were involved. Many in breathing apparatus fought the fire and prevented it spreading to the neighbouring property.

There was minor smoke damage to the other house.

An aerial platform was brought in to enable firefighters to remove tiles from the roof and check that the fire had not spread through the attic.

Greenfields Avenue was closed to through traffic while the fire was brought under control.

Station Commander Jahn said the first fire crew from Rugeley had arrived within six minutes of being called and found flames coming out of the windows at the back of the house.

Crews from Cannock, Abbots Bromley, Lichfield and Stafford were also involved.

Mr Heritage did not wish to talk about the incident, other than to say he would have somewhere to stay for Christmas.

People in houses near to the fire made cups of tea and offered mince pies to the firefighters after they had got the fire under control.