Two fire crews tackled a blaze in a ground floor flat in Bromfield, Saffron Walden, last night (Sunday) after a chip pan set the kitchen alight.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 7.31pm and extinguished the fire by 8.15pm.

The East of England Ambulance Service were also called to attend a man in his 30s who was unconscious but breathing.

The man was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for further care but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Over half of the house fires in Essex start in the kitchen and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service have urged people to stay as safe as possible when cooking by:

- Avoid leaving cooking unattended and never leave children in the kitchen alone.

- Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – they can easily catch fire.

- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.

- Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.

- Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.

- Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily. If the oil starts to smoke – it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool. Ideally cook oven chips but if you are deep fat frying then use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer - they can’t overheat.