Jason Peterson with the chip pan in the remains of his wrecked kitchen

by Chris Hunter

One minute he was looking forward to sausage and chips - the next he was battling in terror through thick smoke and hauling himself out of a window to escape a house fire.

Jason Peterson, 36, will now need to be rehoused after an electrical deep fryer - given to him by his sister for a Christmas present - burst into flames and set light to his bungalow in Wykeham Grove, Leeds.

The disabled interior design student had left the chip pan unattended while he went to the toilet when he heard an explosion - and got back to find the machine on fire.

With his partner and carer Linda Davis out at work, Mr Peterson, who struggles to walk because of a crumbling spine and cervical spondylosis, decided to tackle the blaze himself.

"It was a smallish flame at first so I tried putting it out with the nearest towel," he said. "I went to the bathroom and got a wet towel because I’ve heard you’re supposed to do that, but by the time I got back I couldn’t get near it."

With the fire now out of control and smoke filling the room, Mr Peterson realised he would have to find a way to escape quickly.

"i had to go through darkness and smoke, trying to find the way…” – jason peterson

"I covered myself with the towel but the fire was blocking the way to the front door - I haven’t got a back door so I couldn’t get out any other way than through the bedroom window. I had to go through darkness and smoke, trying to find my way. I couldn’t climb over the window sill - I had to literally slide myself over and fall out."

He was then able to shout out for a neighbour, Pat, who came running and called the fire brigade.

Mr Peterson had to be treated for smoke inhalation on the scene while firefighters battled the blaze, but his nightmare didn’t end there.

With his house uninhabitable, he is in temporary accommodation waiting to be rehoused by Golding Homes, and remains traumatised by the ordeal on Monday night.

"It was so scary, it’s prevented me from sleeping - I’m scared to go to sleep because of the pictures in my head. I never want to use one of those fryers again."

He said his sister had also broke down in tears on hearing the news about the present, but that he had told her there was no way of predicting the disaster.

"I told her I could have bought one for her," he added.

He thanked both firefighters and ambulance crews, as well as his neighbour Pat, and Golding Homes - who were "a Godsend".