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A WOMAN needed hospital treatment after being rescued from a chip pan fire at her fifth-floor flat.
Passer-by Lee Harrison raised the alarm after seeing smoke billowing from the flat at Arthur Cotton Court, in Hamil Road, Burslem.
The 26-year-old called firefighters and went into the flat to find a woman unconscious on her sofa.
But Lee was told to get out of the flat after the fire started to take hold – and firefighters rescued the woman.
Investigators believe the woman had been using her chip pan in the kitchen when she passed out after having too much to drink.
The casualty – who has not been named but is in her 50s – was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after suffering smoke inhalation at 10.20am on Saturday.
Unemployed Lee, who had been visiting a relative at another flat, said: "I could smell smoke and when I ran downstairs the door to the flat was open and the lady was lying on the sofa in the living room.
"She was unconscious and I could not stir her.
"Then I saw the chip pan on fire and within five minutes the place was black with smoke. I couldn't see anything and was choking.
"I was on the phone to the emergency services and they told me to get out of the flat to get away from the smoke.
"When the lady was rescued she had breathed some smoke in but wasn't seriously injured."
Recent safety work at the 35-year-old council-owned block of flats included installing new fire doors.
But fire incident commander, Des Keeling, warned people about leaving chip pans unattended.
He said: "This lady appeared to have been asleep after suffering the effects of excessive drinking.
"The chip pan was left unattended and the kitchen was badly damaged by the fire and heat. The rest of the property is smoke damaged.
"Chip pans and alcohol do not mix. Thankfully the smoke detectors were working and the woman's injuries do not appear to be life threatening."
Twenty firefighters from Sandyford, Hanley, Burslem, Newcastle and Longton attended the scene and went into the flat using breathing apparatus. They also used an aerial platform to tackle the flames. They left the complex at midday.
Arthur Cotton Court resident Milly Stockton, aged 85, who was one of the first residents to move into the flats and lives above the scene of the fire, said: "I felt very vulnerable because I thought the whole building was on fire. "The lady who was rescued hasn't lived here long.
"This is only the second time there has been a fire in the block and the last one was about 10 years ago.
"It was a chip pan then as well but it was in the early hours of the morning and we had to be evacuated.
"I have a modern chip pan which turns itself off if left for any length of time.
"Old-fashioned chip pans should be banned because they're too dangerous."