Horsham firefighters have rescued a man from a fire in his ground floor flat after a concerned neighbour heard his smoke alarm sounding.
The noise from the smoke alarm at flats in Moore Court, Granary Way, Horsham, had alerted the neighbour who then made an emergency call to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service at 1.38pm yesterday (Saturday June 2).
Crews found the flat smoke logged and a small fire in the kitchen after they forced entry through the front door.
A team of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the flat and found the occupier in a deep sleep on a settee in the lounge - unaware of the danger he was in.
They brought him out to fresh air and handed him over to colleagues who gave him oxygen.
The man, believed to be in his 40s, suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by paramedics but did not go to hospital.
Incident Commander Steve Blackaby said the actions of the neighbour responding to the smoke alarm sounding had helped to prevent a possible tragedy.
He said: “It just reinforces the importance of having working smoke alarms in every home. Even when you are unable to respond to it yourself or escape to safety, the alarm sounding could be heard by a good neighbour or a passer-by who can then call the emergency services.
“A good deed like that could save your life. But even if your home is unoccupied when a fire breaks out, the sooner someone raises the alarm the quicker we can get there to stop the fire spreading and prevent it causing even more damage.
“So help to protect yourself and your home. Make sure you have working smoke alarms.”
For free safety advice from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service please ring 0800 328 6487 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire