The chemical reaction resulted in gasses being released from the drum and a strong smell of chemicals being present in the sauna.

At the height of the incident four fire crews were at the address along with the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) from Ramsbottom Fire Station.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and full protective clothing entered the basement of the sauna and placed the contaminated drum into a larger drum from the EPU, ready for it to be collected by a specialist chemical company.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus also ventilated the building.

During the incident there was restricted access around the areas of Tariff Street, Brewer Street and Hilton Street.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) received a call at 5.30am on Saturday, May 18, from an Athol Road resident - who said the smoke alarm was sounding and that a neighbour in the flat below was inside.

Crews from Moss Side and Withington fire stations went to the converted flats where they broke into the ground floor property using a door-ram.

Watch Manager Paul Hesford, from Moss Side Fire Station, said: "The neighbour who made the 999 call told us that they had banged on the door but after getting no reply rang for help.

"We were greeted with a lot of smoke when we got into the flat and found a 48-year-old man asleep in his bedroom - luckily for him he had closed the door behind him so only suffered from slight smoke inhalation and didn't need any treatment.

"We carried out a Home Safety Check at the three flats but didn't need to fit any smoke alarms as the whole property has shared hard wired ones."

It is thought that the man had started cooking food in a pan on the hob and forgot about it and gone to bed.

The flat was quite badly smoke damaged and firefighters used a high-pressure fan to remove the smoke.

A similar incident occurred in Eccles at 2.20pm on Friday, May 17, when a man's neighbour called the Control Room at GMFRS to say his kitchen was full of smoke.

Crews from Eccles and Agecroft fire stations went to the semi-detached house on Hereford Road in Ellesmere Park where they led a 30-year-old man to safety after he had left his chip pan unattended.

The man was treated with oxygen by a GMFRS Trauma Technician and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reels to put out the fire and a high-pressure fan to remove smoke.

As there were no working smoke alarms in the house firefighters completed a Home Safety Check before leaving - which included them giving the occupier fire safety advice and fitting smoke alarms.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: "It is lucky for the two men that they have caring neighbours - who quite possibly saved their lives by calling GMFRS for help.

"Remember, working smoke alarms are your first line of defence, they really do save lives!

"It's also important never to leave cooking unattended because that's how serious fires start, and we plea that people ban the pan from their homes as chip pans are just so dangerous - if you've got one, please get rid of it."
 
Other kitchen fires broke out after cooking was left unattended on Friday, May 17, with crews from Wigan going to a bungalow on Hebdon Close, Ashton in Makerfield, shortly after 5.30pm after a pan of oil was left unattended on an electric cooker.

A 92-year-old man suffered from the effects of smoke and was given oxygen by a GMFRS Trauma Technician.

Earlier on in the day at 3pm Stockport and Offerton firefighters were called to a cooking fire at Cherry Tree Lane in Great Moor, Stockport - a 65-year-old man in the semi-detached house had left cooking unattended and was checked over by ambulance crews but didn't require further treatment.

To see how easily a chip pan can catch fire, check out the GMFRS ban the pan video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slEv_75Uq4k  

For a free Home Safety Check, which could include the fitting of smoke alarms, please call GMFRS on 0800 555 815 or visit http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx  

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) are urging people to ban the pan from their homes following the fire.

Crews from Wythenshawe, Withington and Cheadle fire stations were called to the sixth floor of a block of flats on Brownley Court Road, Benchill at 7.50pm on Thursday, May 16.

Watch Manager Pat Johnson, based at Wythenshawe's Red Watch, said: "The fire was out by the time we arrived.

"A 61-year-old man had put his chip pan on and gone off and got engrossed in a crossword.

"His smoke alarm had sounded and a couple of neighbours came and investigated - one of them took the chip pan off the heat and the other put water on it.

"Putting water on a chip pan is not recommended because it can make the fire worse but on this occasion it ended ok."

A GMFRS Trauma Technician gave oxygen to the man from the flat as he had inhaled some smoke.

Firefighters and staff from GMFRS will be going back to the man's flat to carry out a Home Safety Check for him.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "Thanks to this man's neighbours, he will hopefully be able to move on from this fire quickly.

"We want people to ban the pan from their homes because chip pans are just so dangerous - if you've got one, please get rid of it."

To see how easily a chip pan can catch fire, check out the GMFRS ban the pan video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slEv_75Uq4k 

For a free Home Safety Check, which could include the fitting of smoke alarms, please call GMFRS on 0800 555 815 or visit /fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx 

The family might not have otherwise been alerted to the blaze as their home did not have smoke alarms.

Firefighters from Hyde and Ashton fire stations were called to a fire at a house on Werneth Low Road, Werneth Low, at 12.20am on Thursday, May 16.

Crew Manager Nick Slack, based at Hyde's White Watch, said: "If it wasn't for the early actions of the young lad the fire would've spread throughout the house and potentially injured someone and caused a lot more damage than it did.

"It's an upside down house with the sleeping quarters downstairs and the kitchen upstairs.

"The little boy could smell the smoke and heard the fire so he woke his dad and they got out. There's no doubt he saved his family.

"They've not been in the house long and there were no smoke alarms. We will now be carrying out a Home Safety Check for them and carrying out Home Safety Checks and offering fire safety advice to 25 of their neighbours."

When crews arrived, four firefighters in breathing apparatus when in and tackled the blaze with hose reels and used a fan to clear the smoke once the fire was out.

It is thought the fire started as a result of an electrical fault. Firefighters isolated the gas and electricity supply to the house.

The kitchen was destroyed by the fire.

The family managed to get out quickly so none of them needed any treatment.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "It is frightening to think what might've happened to this family had the little boy not woken and been so responsible and quick-thinking as to wake his dad.

"This case shows that fires can happen at any time. Please make fitting smoke alarms in your home a priority whether you've lived there a couple of months or years - but it should be of utmost urgency when you first move in and are adapting to new surroundings."

For a free Home Safety Check, which may include the fitting of up to two FREE smoke alarms, please contact 0800 555 815 or go to /fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx 

Crews from Marple, Offerton and Stockport fire stations were called to Station Road, Strines, at 8.40pm on Wednesday, May 15, after reports a woman had fallen into the water.

Knowing the area, firefighters were able to find the right location even though the address operators had been given was not quite right.

Firefighters were joined by officers from Greater Manchester Police to look for the woman and each of the crews placed themselves strategically at half mile intervals along the river to do their best to find the woman.

Watch Manager Simon Dowling, from Marple Fire Station, said: "It was a good job and a positive outcome that with the police we managed to find her and get her out.

"The police helicopter was up and spotted her on their thermal imaging camera.

"They landed in a field and officers got off just at the same time as some of our firefighters had also spotted her.

"Together they managed to get her out of the river.

"She was lucky because the river was very fast flowing and cold - but we would've got her no matter what because we spread ourselves out at certain points of the river.

"We were also given great help by members of the public directing us to where she was."

The woman was conscious and breathing when she was rescued from the river bank near to a footpath off Plucksbridge Road.

She was taken to hospital by ambulance as she was thought to be suffering from hypothermia as the 36-year-old had been in the river for around half an hour.

Along with the three regular fire crews, a specialist Water Incident Unit from Eccles attended but the rescue boat was not deployed although crews supported the rescue.

The 60-year-old man was not alerted to the fire by his smoke alarms because the batteries had been taken out of them.

Firefighters from Bury and Whitefield fire stations were called to Goldfinch Drive, Bury, at 10.05pm on Monday, May 13.

Watch Manager Steve Wilcock, based at Bury Fire Station's Green Watch, said: "The neighbours undoubtedly saved his life by banging on the windows and doors to get him to wake up.

"He would've died if the couple hadn't alerted him to the fire and called us so the neighbours did a great job. When he came out, he had taken in a huge amount of smoke.

"Two of our firefighters went in with a hose reel and put the fire out."

It was the second night in a row that firefighters from Bury had gone out to a blaze where a man on his own had suffered a fire after putting food on to cook and falling asleep.

The man was taken to hospital by ambulance but later discharged.

The kitchen suffered fire damage and the entire house was badly smoke damage.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "The neighbours did do a fantastic job raising the alarm and crews were on the scene extremely quickly to take control of the incident and put the fire out.

"Unfortunately, the house is badly damaged and shows just how important working smoke alarms are as this fire had been burning for some time before it was discovered.

"Today is Test It Tuesday - please let it stand for making sure your smoke alarms work properly. They should be fitted in the right place, always have working batteries and be tested once a week."

See the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service website for further safety advice: www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_safety/safety_in_kitchen.aspx

For a free Home Safety Check - which may include the fitting of two free smoke alarms - call us on 0800 555 815 or visit the website here: www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx

Crews from Bury, Whitefield and Farnworth fire stations were called to Trencherbone in Radcliffe shortly before 8.30pm on Sunday, May 12, 2013.

The house was filling up with smoke when a passer-by spotted the 83-year-old man inside the ground-floor flat and called the emergency services.

Firefighters were on the scene within minutes and crews wearing breathing apparatus used a door ram to get into the building.

They used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and rescued the man who was given oxygen treatment by a fire service Trauma Technician at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.  

Watch Manager Steve Wilcock, from Bury Fire Station, said: "When we arrived we had to break down the front door to get into the flat and two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went in and pulled him out.

"It looks like he had left a pan of the food on the cooker and then fallen asleep.

"There was no smoke alarm sounding inside the flat so we fitted some new ones."

Crews also carried out Home Safety Checks in surrounding homes before leaving the scene.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said:

"More than half of house fires in start in the kitchen - it only takes a few seconds for a serious fire to start so ensure you never leave any cooking unattended.

"Smoke alarms are so important in every home - they give you an early warning to a fire and could save your life."

See the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service website for further safety advice: www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_safety/safety_in_kitchen.aspx

For a free Home Safety Check, call us on 0800 555 815 or visit the website here: www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx

The woman had gone to bed and closed the door behind her - which Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) officers believe saved her life.

Crews from Whitefield, Broughton and Agecroft fire stations were called to the ground-floor flat in Clifton Road, Prestwich, at 10.10am today (Sunday, May 12, 2013).

The fire involved an electric hob in the kitchen and although the fire had burnt itself out, the entire flat was heavily smoke-logged.

The woman, aged 47, had managed to escape before crews arrived after being alerted to the fire by a neighbour but two cats and two parrots sadly died in the fire.

Crews are returning to the area this afternoon to provide reassurance to residents and give out vital home fire safety advice.

Station Manager Ben Levy, who was in charge of the incident, said: "This incident could have been a very tragic one if it wasn't for the fact that the woman had closed the door behind her when she went to bed and that a neighbour raised the alarm.

"The fire had been burning for some time and nobody was altered to it because there were no working smoke alarms in the flat.

"It was only when a neighbour smelt smoke that they went to bang on the door and the woman got out.

"The fire had burnt itself out but it created a lot of thick black smoke throughout the flat, which unfortunately killed two cats and two parrots.

"The cause of the fire was identified as the kitchen hob, which had been left switched on and unattended.

"This woman is extremely lucky to be alive - if she had left the door open I am quite sure we would have been dealing with a fatal incident."

Firefighters gave the woman oxygen therapy at the scene and she was checked over by paramedics before being taken to hospital.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: "This incident highlights the importance of having a proper bedtime routine, which includes ensuring all cookers and hobs are switched off and all candles and cigarettes are fully extinguished before going to bed.

"Shutting your internal doors when you leave the house or go to bed can prevent a fire from spreading - and in this case undoubtedly saved a woman's life.

"Please ensure you have working smoke alarms in your home and that they are regularly checked to ensure they are in good working order - it's so easy to get one and could save your life one day." 

For a free Home Safety Check, which could include the fitting of smoke alarms, call GMFRS on 0800 55 815 or visit /fire_safety_advice/smoke_alarms.aspx

For further advice on how to keep yourself and your family safe from fire in your home, visit the GMFRS website here: /fire_safety_advice/home_fire_safety.aspx

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) received reports of the blaze at the building in Chester Street, Werneth, at 8.40am today (Friday, May 10).

The disused building, which is near to a number of terraced houses, was well alight and smoke could be seen for miles around.

Fire crews from Oldham, Hollins, Hyde, two from Chadderton and an aerial platform were sent to the scene.

A total of 11 houses were evacuated as a precaution - residents in five houses soon returned to their homes but those in six houses have not yet been let back in for safety reasons.

The whole of the building, which measures approximately 15 metres by five metres, was well alight when crews arrived on the scene and smoke could be seen coming from the roof.

Crews quickly brought the fire under control and stopped it spreading to other properties.

Station Manager John Varey, who was in charge of the incident, said: "There are still small isolated pockets of fire within the building but we can't send crews in at the moment due to potentially unsafe nature of the building.

"The fire involved 100 per cent of the building - the ground and first floors and the roof were well alight when we arrived.

"We used jets to bring the fire under control and crews worked swiftly to tackle the fire and protect nearby terraced houses - reducing the impact and damage of the fire on local people and property."

Nobody is believed to have been injured.

An investigation will be carried out to establish the cause of the fire at a later stage.

Fire crews from Salford and Eccles fire stations were called along with a Water Incident Unit shortly after 2pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Firefighters wearing life vests were secured to railings on Broadway before the fire was tackled using a hose reel.

A small area of the jetty was damaged by the fire which is believed to have been caused by smoking materials.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: "Thankfully this fire was dealt with quickly by the crews and caused only a small amount of damage, but it could have been much worse.

"Carelessly discarded smoking materials are a major cause of fires.  Always stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully."

For more advice on smoking safely and a link to support to stop smoking - as not lighting up at all is the surest way to prevent a fire - please go to http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/home_fire_safety/smoking_safety.aspx 

Crews from Stretford, Eccles and Salford fire stations were called to the building in Park Road, Stretford, at 8.36pm on Wednesday, May 8.

Around 50 staff members were evacuated from the building while firefighters wearing breathing apparatus dealt with a fire involving a corn oven on the fifth floor.

Watch Manager Kevin Barnwell, from Stretford Fire Station, said: "Luckily the fire hadn't got into the ducting so we managed to contain it to the oven itself.

"It was caused by a build-up of the raw materials which ignited so we had to dig out the oven and rake out the raw materials.

"There was some light smoke-logging to the fifth floor so we evacuated the building as a precaution but it was a relatively small fire."

Crews used a jet to extinguish the fire and managed to contain the damage to the oven itself.

A thermal imaging camera was used to check for fire spread before firefighters left the incident in the hands of the Kellogg's maintenance team.

A short circuit on a fridge-freezer is thought to have caused the blaze at the flat in Ladybarn Lane in the early hours of Thursday, May 9.

Two crews from Gorton and one from Withington were called to the end terraced house, which is converted into flats, at 3.50am after reports that people were trapped inside.

When they arrived minutes later, crews discovered a fire in the kitchen of a first-floor flat and luckily there was nobody inside.

A smoke detector inside the flat had been covered up and by the time it went off, the fire had spread throughout the kitchen and caused severe damage.

Two people from a second-floor flat - who made the 999 call - and a resident in a ground-floor flat had managed to get out of the building before crews arrived.

Watch Manager Ken Booth, from Gorton Fire Station, said: "The smoke detector in the flat that was involved in the fire had been covered up by a latex glove so it took some time for the heat to build up, melt the glove and set off the alarm.

"Luckily there was nobody inside the flat and three people from other flats got out of the building - they were quite lucky really that the alarm eventually went off because it was the middle of the night.

"The kitchen was completely destroyed by the fire but it was contained to the one room although there was some slight smoke damage to the rest of the flat."

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to fight the fire and a high-pressure fan to clear the smoke. 

Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: "Smoke alarms are there for a reason - to give you an early warning to a fire and give you vital seconds to escape.

"If you cover up a smoke alarm for any reason or take the batteries out, you don't have one to protect you and your family.

"If you don't have a smoke alarm or you would like advice on how and where they should be fitted - you can call Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 555 015."

The 23-year-old suffered a minor burn to his leg, but thankfully managed to escape the blaze despite the fact his smoke alarm was not working.

Fire engines from Bolton Central and Bolton North fire stations were called to the flat above a shop on Chorley Old Road in the town at 7.57pm on Tuesday, May 7.

Watch Manager Andy Hardman said: "It was incredibly fortunate that the man had managed to get out of his flat, because the fire was quite severe.

"A pan of food and oil left unattended caught fire and set fire to the extractor fan and kitchen cupboards.

"The man's neighbour had dialled 999 - the fact his smoke alarm wasn't working meant this fire could have been so much worse, I dread to think what could have happened if he had not woken or if his neighbour had not raised the alarm.

"Our specially trained Trauma Technician gave him some oxygen and treated his minor burn injury."

The man refused hospital treatment. Four firefighters in breathing apparatus put the fire out but the flat was very badly smoke damaged.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton said: "It is incredibly fortunate that this man escaped from his flat because he did not have a working smoke alarm.

"Smoke alarms save lives but they are only any good if they are working, so I would urge everyone to test their smoke alarms once a week.

"It's also so important to never leave cooking unattended because that's how serious fires start. This man escaped with a minor burn - please check your smoke alarms and stand by your pans!"

For a free Home Safety Check, which may include the fitting of smoke alarms, please contact GMFRS on 0800 555 815 or visit /fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx

FIREFIGHTERS left the incident yesterday afternoon at around 1pm.

UPDATE AT 7am on Wednesday, May 8.

FIREFIGHTERS will begin tackling the wildfire on moorland above Littleborough at first light this morning after more than 40 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) crews were called there last night.

They were called to the fire covering five hectares of land behind the Summit Pub on Todmorden Road at 7.32am, joining crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS).

Overnight, fire crews withdrew from the hillside in darkness for safety reasons and used strategically placed fire engines to protect neighbouring property.

Station Manager Pete Buckley said: "Overnight we maintained a presence protecting some remote property with a spray of water and we were able to monitor any fire spread and wind changes.

"The fire had spread across the dry vegetation from West Yorkshire and we had eight fire engines and an Operational Support Unit tackling the fires at its height.

"First light will give us the optimum time and temperature to begin offensively fighting pockets of fire again and continue to defend and protect remote property from any fire spread."

 To see some pictures of the wildfire go to www.facebook.com/manchesterfire

MORE than 40 firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have joined crews from West Yorkshire tackling moorland fires in Littleborough and over the county border.

Six GMFRS fire engines and an Operational Support Unit were called to land behind The Summit Pub on Todmorden Road at 7.32pm on Tuesday, May 7.

In addition, a fire engine from Rochdale and one from Littleborough joined six fire engines from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in tackling pockets of moorland fire.

Crews are using water to defend and protect neighbouring property, and to tackle the pockets of fire which cover around five hectares of land close to Todmorden.

UPDATE: 10.30pm

Station Manager Pete Buckley said: "We are protecting a small number of remote cottages and farm buildings from the wildfires.

"Firefighters have withdrawn from the hillside for safety reasons in the darkness and have redeployed to protect these isolated local buildings with strategically positioned fire engines.

"Monitoring any fire spread through the night they will use a protective spray of water around the buildings to defend the properties and will continue to fight the fires on the hillside safely within daylight hours."

Updates will be added to the website.

Two fire engines from Bury Fire Station were called to a blaze involving cylinders in a barn at Whitewall Farm on Walmersley Old Road in the Nangreaves area of the town at 5.05pm, on Tuesday, May 7.

When crews got to the secluded farm building, they called for a third fire engine to help relay water from almost a mile away to help them tackle the flames.

Watch Manager Pete Fletcher said: "This fire could have been potentially catastrophic because any one of the cylinders involved could have exploded and taken out the entire workshop and beyond.

"Thankfully the bulls and cows were moved out of the next door barn and we managed to cool the cylinders and put the fire out.

"As well as that we also managed to salvage some of the tools from the barn in what was quite a challenging fire."

Crews put the fire out using jets carrying water from a hydrant almost a mile away from the farm building.

Station Manager Ian Tracey said: "Crews faced a challenging situation when they arrived because on their way they had heard that the fire involved acetylene cylinders, but thankfully they were found not to be involved in the blaze.

"But there were some oxygen and propane cylinders involved in the fire which needed cooling.

"The flames tore through a 300 square metre barn that was being used as an engineering workshop and was very close to two other barns storing machinery and farming materials and there were cows and bulls around ten metres away.

"Firefighters did a great job in preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings and keeping people and animals safe."

Crews will remain at the scene of the fire for a number of hours to cool the cylinders.

A crew from Wythenshawe Fire Station was called to Woodhouse Lane at 5.30pm on Monday, May 6.

Firefighters discovered that two men, both aged 41, had suffered burns when the barbecue they had lit with barbecue lighter fluid had flashed back at them.

One of the men had burns to his face and arms and the other suffered burns to his arms and upper body.

The men were already being treated by North West Ambulance Service staff by the time the crew arrived.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "The Bank Holiday has given us some fantastic weather and we want everyone to enjoy it safely.

"Even with the correct materials, barbecues can be incredibly dangerous so we're asking people to be extra careful if enjoying one this evening.

"We hope the two men injured in the incident earlier this evening recover quickly."

For more information about barbecue safety, please visit /fire_safety_advice/seasonal_safety/barbecue_safety.aspx

Firefighters from Ashton, Hyde and Gorton fire stations were called to a blaze at a bungalow on Denbigh Road, Haughton Green, at 1.25am on Monday, May 6.

When crews arrived, they discovered the entire bungalow was on fire and it was believed that a woman was inside.

Six firefighters in breathing apparatus began tackling the fire with jets.

Due to the scale of the incident, crews also put jets on neighbouring houses to stop the fire spreading to them.

A 59-year-old woman was brought from the bungalow and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 58-year-old woman who lives in a house nearby was suffering from the effects of inhaling smoke but declined the offer of treatment by a GMFRS trauma technician and ambulance staff.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service fire investigators and officers from Greater Manchester Police are now trying to establish the cause of the blaze.

Closures are in place on Guinness Road while firefighters work at the scene.

Crews from Broughton, Eccles, Agecroft and an operational support unit from Leigh were called to a scrap yard on Guinness Road in Trafford Park at 5.40pm on Saturday, May 4.

The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service control room received a number of calls reporting a fire.

A unit on the yard, measuring 50m by 50m, was on fire.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus are tackling the blaze with jets and are bringing it under control.

Crews are expected to remain on the scene for the next few hours (from 7pm) and road closures will be in place while they work to ensure the fire is entirely out.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is once again urging people to ban the pan following the incident.

Both crews from Rochdale Fire Station were called to Dale Street, Milnrow, at 5.25pm on Friday, May 3.

The fire was out by the time firefighters arrived as the man had tackled the fire himself by throwing water on the blaze.

Crews carried out a Home Safety Check for the man where they looked at the fire risks in his home, gave him advice and support about how to be safer and ensured he had working smoke alarms in case he suffers a fire again.

The man's chip pan was destroyed and his oven was badly damaged in the blaze.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has a Ban the Pan campaign, encouraging people to ditch old fashioned chip pans and use safer alternatives instead such as thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers and oven chips.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "This man was incredibly lucky that he discovered the fire very early and that tackling the chip pan fire with water did not make it worse.

"The best way to avoid facing a situation like this in your home is to simply ban the pan.

"If you've never seen how dangerous a chip pan fire can be, just take a look at the video on our YouTube channel."

To see how easily a chip pan can catch fire, check out the GMFRS ban the pan video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slEv_75Uq4k 

For a free Home Safety Check, which could include the fitting of smoke alarms, please call GMFRS on 0800 555 815 or visit /fire_safety_advice/home_fire_risk_assessments.aspx 

Three fire engines from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) were sent to Arrow Mill on Queensway, Castleton, shortly before 10.25am today (Friday, May 3, 2013).

Crews were faced with a fire involving a light-fitting and pallets of paint on the ground floor of a five-storey mill, which measures approximately 100 metres by 50 metres.

The sprinkler system in the building - which was installed to deal with just this kind of situation - activated and stopped the fire spreading before crews arrived to fully extinguish the fire.

The mill houses a number of different businesses and around 200 workers were evacuated while firefighters dealt with the incident.

Watch Manager Reg Haye, from Chadderton Fire Station, who was in charge of the incident, said: "Sprinklers activated and prevented the fire from spreading, which allowed fire crews to enter the building safely, surround the fire and put the fire out.

"It was caused by an accidental electrical fault on a florescent light-fitting which burst into flames and then dropped onto ten pallets of tinned paint.

"The ground floor was smoke-logged so we had to send six firefighters in breathing apparatus into the building to fight the fire using hose reels and a jet.

"The owner of the mill was pleased that the sprinklers worked and they proved to be invaluable."  

Crews were on the scene until around 1.30pm as they had to remove all the pallets and other items from the mill to check for fire spread and ensure the building was safe before leaving the scene.

Their hard work - combined with the effectiveness of the sprinklers - meant that the damage was confined to the light-fitting and pallets.

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: "This is clear example of how effective sprinklers are in rapidly suppressing fires and saving lives.

"They are not just for use in commercial buildings and their use in domestic properties can be equally effective.

"GMFRS is leading by example - our newest fire station at Bury is installed with sprinklers, as will our new community fire station at Rochdale which is currently being built.

"Sprinklers can save lives and reduce injury, improve firefighter safety, protect property and heritage, reduce the environmental impact of fire, reduce fire costs and limit the disruption to the community and business - therefore I would urge all building owners and developers to think seriously about sprinklers."

For further information about how sprinklers could protect your business or building in the event of a fire, please visit the GMFRS website here: /fire_safety_advice/think_sprinkler.aspx