A SLEEPY resident had a lucky escape from a kitchen blaze in Bury — prompting a warning from fire chiefs.

Firefighters were called to the ground floor flat in Doctors Lane at 11.15pm last night when neighbours heard the smoke alarm.

Crews discovered a smoking pizza in the oven, which had been left to burn under the grill after the man fell asleep.

Firefighters say the smoke alarm saved the man’s life.

Angus Robinson, station manager, said: “There was a man inside the property who had fallen asleep after putting the grill on. Although he had a working smoke alarm it didn’t alert him. The crews woke him and assisted him to safety.

“Although the flat was heavily smoke logged, the man had a lucky escape. If the crews didn’t act as quickly as they did it could have been a lot worse. They effectively saved his life.”

For more information on fire safety, go to: manchesterfire.gov.uk.