A 35-year-old man had a 'lucky' escape when his kitchen caught fire last night.
The man had started cooking after coming home from the pub at about 9.45pm yesterday but the food started burning after he fell asleep.
His neighbour was alerted to the sound of a smoke alarm in Denmark Road, Carshalton, and then woke the sleeping man.
The homeowner put the fire out before firefighters arrived.
Crew manager David Coleman, from Wallington fire station, said: "The gentleman came home from the pub and fell asleep.
"The fire had caused a bit of damage.
"Putting food on when people come home from drinking can be dangerous.
"He's a lucky man."
An ambulance was called because the homeowner had breathed in a lot of smoke and he was taken to hospital as a precaution.
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