A man was dragged unconscious from his flat after a fire started in his tumble dryer.
The 53-year-old was overcome by smoke after fighting a blaze in his dryer with a dry powder extinguisher.
Two firemen wearing breathing apparatus forced their way into the ground floor flat in St Osyth and pulled him to safety at about 7.40pm last night.
Acting sub-officer Jim Bowyer praised the villager for having a smoke detector fitted and an extinguisher to hand.
But he added: "If you are going to deal with it, you have to deal with it with care. He dealt with the fire but it nearly cost him his life."
Firefighters gave oxygen to the man before paramedics arrived. He was treated at Colchester General Hospital but not admitted.
Published Thursday April 8, 2004
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article