A woman had to be treated for the effects of smoke inhalation after bacon left unattended on a grill started a fire in her kitchen.

Firefighters say the incident, which happened shortly after 6pm yesterday, (Monday) has highlighted the importance of not leaving cooking unattended.

Crews from Medway and Strood fire stations were called out to her home, in Warren Wood Road, Rochester, after her grill caught alight.

Ian Collins, Strood crew manager said: “The woman was cooking bacon which set light to the oven and set off the smoke alarms.

“We removed the pan and ventilated the property but the woman – who we believe suffers from asthma – had breathing difficulties so we gave her oxygen.

“There was some damage to the oven but fortunately the smoke alarms meant she had an early warning and the consequences fortunately weren’t more serious.”

Ambulance crews treated the woman, who is believed to be in her 50s, and the crews left her property shortly before 7pm.

Frefighter Collins added: “If you leave the kitchen, turn the heat off as fire starts when your attention stops. Just three breaths of fire smoke can be fatal, so it’s vital that everyone has working smoke alarms in their homes.

“We offer free safety advice and services to everyone but there’s a lot you can do to keep yourself safe.”

For more advice on fire safety visit www.3breaths.info or contact KFRS on 0800 923 7000.