By Vanessa Chircop
A WORKING smoke alarm helped save the life of a man involved in a house fire in Newport.
The owner of the house on Laurie St was at home cooking chips on the stove when he was called away by a neighbour who needed his help.
Upon hearing the smoke alarm, the man remembered he had left chips cooking and returned to the kitchen.
Armed with a small dry chemical extinguisher from his garage, the owner rushed back to contain the fire while his neighbour rang for the fire brigade.
Flames were already reaching up to the rangehood above the stove but with the aid of three extinguishers the owner had at his disposal, the fire was soon quelled and the pot covered with a fire blanket to ensure the oil would not reignite.
MFB crews were on scene within five minutes but all they needed to do was check the roof space to ensure the fire had not spread past the rangehood.
Damage to the kitchen was minimal with only the rangehood, stove and two cupboards needing minor repairs.
This second fire follows a tragic house fire on Liley St earlier this month where a woman was killed.
