Firefighters are again warning of the dangers of leaving cooking unattended after a 79 year old man was lucky to escape from a chip pan fire at his home in Llandudno - the second serious incident in 24 hours related to cooking in the Conwy area.

Two crews from Llandudno were called to the property at Kings Avenueat 16.07hrs today (Thursday 17^th October) and used two sets of breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.

It is believed the man fell asleep after leaving an old fashioned chip pan unattended. He was awoken by a smoke alarm and tried to extinguish the fire himself, sustaining superficial burns to his head and arms in the process. He has been transferred to hospital for treatment.

Gwyn Jonesfrom North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "Fortunately, the smoke alarm activated at the property, alerting the occupant in the flat to the fire. Otherwise this incident could have been even more serious.

"This fire comes just hours after another incident in the early hours of this morning in which a 93 year old woman was led out of flat fire onConwy Road,ColwynBayafter leaving a microwave unattended.

"Statistics across theUKshow that the majority of accidental domestic fires begin in the kitchen. Over half of all accidental dwelling fires we attend inNorth Walesare cooking related.

"The best advice we can give to people is to throw away your old style chip pan - use a thermostatically controlled deep fryer instead which cannot overheat and ignite in the same way. Never turn your back on cooking, even for a short time - and make sure you have a working smoke alarm."

In 2007, Sean Bowers, 24, from Penyffordd and Andrew Roberts, 39, from Ruthin, died following separate fires in their homes - both caused by chip pans.

"It only takes a few minutes for a small fire to develop into one that is serious and life threatening," said Gwyn. "If you're asleep and a fire breaks out, you're in serious trouble. Just a couple of breaths of smoke can be enough to knock you completely unconscious."

The warning comes two days before firefighters are expected to take strike action in a dispute with Government over pensions.

Members of the public are reminded that during the period of industrial action expected by firefighters on Saturday 19^th October, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service may not be able to respond as it normally would - prevention is best, so take the simple steps outlined on our website www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk to ensure your safety and those of your loved ones

The best way to give yourself the chance to escape unharmed from a fire is to ensure you have a working smoke alarm. To register for a free home fire safety check please call our bilingual 24 hour hotline on freephone 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk .