A BLAZE which destroyed most of a council house kitchen could have been avoided if residents hadn't disconnected their smoke alarm, according to Fulwood firemen.

A chip pan fire at the address in Whitby Road, Ingol, burned unnoticed until smoke started pouring under the door.

By the time firemen arrived at the scene at 9.30pm on Sunday, the kitchen was already a blackened wreck and the cooker destroyed. Sub Officer Jim Merridew from Fulwood Fire Station said: "We asked them why the smoke alarm was off when we arrived. They told us it was always sounding whenever they burned toast so they switched it off at the mains.

"They only noticed the fire when they smelled smoke coming from the kitchen - luckily no-one was hurt.

"What people don't realise is in most cases there would be no fire if they had a smoke alarm because it goes of at the first sign of smoke. Unfortunately these people had to learn by losing their kitchen."

The alarms were fitted by Preston Borough Council 18 months ago and are connected to the mains after complaints that batteries kept running down. Acting Principal Housing Officer Gary Melia said; "I'm very surprised to hear they have switched an alarm off after it was installed for their own safety.

"I would appeal to anyone thinking of switching their alarms off because they go off at inconvenient times to contact us - otherwise tragedies can happen."

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