Men rescued from fires at Newcastle-under-Lyme flats
Two men found asleep while under the influence of alcohol have been rescued from separate fires in two flats in Staffordshire.
Neighbours heard smoke alarms in Weaver Place and Rothesay Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme, on Monday night and alerted the fire service.
A 39-year-old man was rescued after a kitchen fire started at his Weaver Place flat.
And a man aged 40 had been smoking in a bedroom at Rothesay Avenue.
Station manager David Agu said: "Both men were incredibly lucky that they have vigilant neighbours as neither were aware there was a fire.
"As these incidents highlight, alcohol can seriously impair judgement and it's only too easy to start cooking or smoking and then fall asleep."