Elderly woman treated for shock after box of fish and chips catches fire in oven of South Shields home

Firefighters were called to a bungalow in Beaconside, South Shields. Image copyright Google Maps.

Two crews from South Shields Fire Station were called to Beaconside in Marsden at 6.40pm today after the smoke alarms in the lady's bungalow were set off by the fumes.

When they arrived, they found her still inside the house, with the team then helping her to a neighbour's home.

She was given oxygen by the officers to help calm her down after she showed signs of shock.

She was then checked over by paramedics, but did not need hospital treatment.

The firefighters found the smoke had been caused by a box of fish and chips, which had caught fire when they were inside the oven.

They had then been thrown in the bin, but the cardboard continued to cause smoke, which filled the kitchen.

The crew, who spent an hour at the scene, used a fan to clear the property of smoke.

The oven was destroyed by the heat of the fire.

Crew manager Lance Mather said: "This shows the importance of having working smoke alarms.

"The lady's neighbours were a great help."

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service will be returning to the street tomorrow, where they will carry out a 'hot strike' to ensure residents in the area have smoke alarms which are in good working order.

Anyone who would like fire safety information can find out more here or call 0800 0327777.