Chef praised in flat-fire rescue

A CHEF has been commended for his quick thinking in stopping a potentially fatal fire in an Uppermill flat.

Chris Johnson (28) awoke in the early hours of Saturday to discover his first-floor property on Bridge Street full of smoke from his neighbour’s home downstairs.

The neighbour had gone to sleep while a pan of food was on the verge of exploding.

Chris and girlfriend Kelly (25) fled their flat, phoned 999 and heard a smoke alarm from the flat below.

Kelly said: “Before I knew it, Chris had gone in the flat thinking someone was in there. He went in blind as there was thick black smoke, found the cooker and turned it off.

“He shouted and heard a man in another room and told him to get out quickly, then the firefighters arrived.”

Local fire serviec chief Kev Talbot, who launched a campaign to “ban the chip pan” in yesterday’s Chronicle. said Chris was “incredibly brave” in tackling the incident - but recommended not following his example.

The fire chief said: “Behind our campaign to ban chip pans is that we want people to be safer when they’re doing any type of cooking. Any fire in the kitchen has the potential to be deadly.

“Don’t cook when you’ve got other things going on, are tired or have been drinking; being distracted is the real cause of most of this type of fire.”








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