Neighbour helps save family in flat blaze

A family had a lucky escape when fire broke out in their Cannock flat, thanks to a neighbour who raised the alarm and helped a man carry his two children to safety.

The blaze broke out in the kitchen of the first floor flat in Huntington at around midnight on Saturday.

The man, is his 30s, had fallen asleep on the sofa after cooking with a chip pan.

When fire crews arrived they found a neighbour, also a man in his 30s, forcing open the front door of the flat in Lowland Road.

Mark Williams, assistant area commander for Cannock Chase, said: "The neighbour assisted the fire officer in charge in alerting the father of two young children, who had fallen asleep on the sofa while the chip pan he had been using burst into flames in the kitchen."

The two men then carried the five-year-old boy and the two-year-old girl, who had been asleep in a bedroom, to safety while fire crews from Cannock and Penkridge tackled the flames.

One woman living in the flats described hearing a huge bang in the middle of the night, followed by a commotion.

Mr Williams said the incident could easily have ended in tragedy.

"The occupants were fortunate to have neighbours that were alerted by smoke."

"This shows the danger of using a chip pan late at night. I'd advise anyone who still uses a chip pan to throw it in the bin."