A WOMAN who slept through a chip pan fire is in a critical condition at a specialist lung unit after being rescued by firemen.

Brigade chiefs say the incident is a stark warning to others about the consequences of leaving stoves unattended.

Crews were called to Chestnut Avenue, Bury, at 9.30pm on Friday (March 22), where Carol Wilson was found unconscious on her settee amid thick smoke.

The middle-aged woman was given oxygen and taken to Fairfield Hospital by paramedics, before being transferred to a police diving hyperbaric unit at Lancashire County Police headquarters. She is now in a critical but stable condition.

Firefighters spent more than an hour at the scene investigating and making the kitchen safe. A dog was also rescued from the address.

Station officer Pete Seddon said: "I cannot stress enough the importance of safety regarding chip pans.

"They can never be left unattended and should only be filled one third full with fat.

"No smoke alarm was fitted. If one had been, the woman may have been alerted and the consequences would have been less severe."