A COUPLE have thanked "life-saving" firefighters after they were rescued unconscious from a flat blaze.

Terry Graham, 42, and Amy Foster, 36, had fallen asleep in their Barrow Island flat in the early hours of yesterday when their chip pan caught fire, engulfing the Egerton Court flat in flames.

Mr Graham thanked the fire service for its "rapid response".

He said: “We could’ve been dead in there.

“Thank you so much to the fire team who literally saved our lives.”

The pair had returned from walking their dog around Barrow Island when they both fell asleep and left their cooking unattended.

Fire crews from Barrow, Ulverston and Walney rescued three people and one dog from the flat, using a hose reel and two breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire.

Mr Graham said: “Next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital.

“I found out later that a neighbour had seen the smoke coming out the window and dragged us out of there.”

Mr Graham, Ms Foster and their neighbour were all admitted to Furness General with smoke inhalation.

Firefighter Paul Milburn urged residents to take care when cooking.

He said: “We recommend that chip pans are not used and people should always stay with their cooking. Smoke detectors should also be checked on a weekly basis.

“If you do not have a detector installed in your home call 0800 3584 777 for advice.”