A FAMILY had to be rescued from their home after a fire started in a chip pan.
The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday, after Cliff Ede returned home to Newholme Estate, Station Town, Peterlee, from a night out, and began cooking chips.
The chip pan caught fire, setting off smoke alarms and waking Mr Ede's wife, Janet, and children, Danny, 13, and Michael, nine.
Firefighters rescued Mrs Ede and the boys from the first floor. They found Mr Ede on the ground floor, asleep on the sofa.
The family was taken to hospital, although nobody was seriously injured.
Sub officer Malcolm Wade said: "We are really trying to push the point that smoke alarms do work and to encourage people to buy them for Christmas."
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