FIRE officers have urged people to be careful when cooking after a fire at a Kent social club.

More than 30 firefighters were called to the Rock Avenue Working Men's Club in Gillingham when the blaze broke out in an upstairs flat.

They pulled an unconscious man from the smoke-filled room.

The 38-year-old victim was taken to the burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and burns to his face and body.

Leading firefighter Chris Caswell said the man was very lucky to have escaped the blaze, believed to have been caused by a chip pan fire.

He said: "The fire is a stark warning that people should not leave cooking unattended.

"Had it not been for the quick thinking and professionalism of all those involved, this man may have suffered far worse consequences."

Kent Fire Brigade has issued a series of guidelines for people who use chip pans when cooking.

• Never fill a pan more than one third full of fat or oil

• Never leave the pan or grill unattended when the heat is switched on.

• Stop cooking if the oil begins to smoke.