Man flees blaze at fish and chip shop; Fire starts as deep fat fryer bursts into flames

Byline: KATIE GRANT

CAPTION(S):"It caused a lot of damage to the preparation area.Two firefighters entered the shop wearing breathing apparatus."One of the units had overheated and the flames were sucked into the overhead extractor unit and the fire was pulled through that.Fire crews attended the scene from Slaithwaite and Marsden with two appliances.The staff member, thought to be in his 50s, tried to put out the flames with wet tea towels but the fire was too fierce.A MAN escaped from a fish and chip shop blaze after a deep fat fryer overheated and burst into flames.Watch Manager Graham Oldroyd, from Slaithwaite fire station, said: "He had gone to open up when one of the cooking units in the property set on fire.No-one was in the flat at the time of the fire.He escaped onto the road where he was given oxygen by firefighters who arrived from Slaithwaite and Marsden fire stations.The fire started shortly before 9am yesterday morning at Harry Heywood's chip shop on Manchester Road, Linthwaite.After seeing smoke seeping from the windows of a flat upstairs, the crews also made sure the apartment was safe.FIRE-HIT: Harry Heywood's fish and chip shop in Linthwaite after the blaze (JH210510Gfire)"It was just a case of him getting out of the property."One hose reel was used alongside a foam extinguisher to put out the flames.

FIRE-HIT: Harry Heywood's fish and chip shop in Linthwaite after the blaze (JH210510Gfire)