Fire fighters pulled an unconscious man from a burning house in Derry overnight.
A smoke alarm that sounded as soon as a chip pan blaze took hold saved his life, they said.
Crews were called out by a passer-by who heard the alarm going off and saw smoke billowing from the end terrace property on Spencer Road in the Waterside district of the city just before 12.30am.
District Commander Willie Lynch said: "We arrived and forced entry through the front and back doors, carried out a search and found a man in his mid 30s lying unconscious in a hallway at the bottom of the stairs."
The victim, who had stopped breathing, was carried outside and given emergency resuscitation before an ambulance took him to hospital where it is believed he will make a full recovery.
Further searches were carried out in the house after fire fighters were told a woman and child also lived there, but no others were found.