A man has been rescued from his burning flat by an off-duty firefighter.

Emergency services were called to the blaze in a second-floor flat in Sandbank Crescent in the Maryhill area of Glasgow at around 10pm yesterday.

Three fire engines were on the scene within five minutes but the man had already been rescued by an off-duty firefighter who was in the area.

Four firefighters then went inside the flat to extinguish the flames and search for any other people.

Paramedics treated the rescued man for slight smoke inhalation.

The blaze started in the kitchen, the fire service said and warned people to take care over the festive period.

"This fire started in the kitchen and, across Scotland, we know more fires begin there than in any other room of the house," a spokesman said.

"With around 60% of all accidental house fires caused by cooking appliances and an increased risk over the festive season, it is absolutely vital that we all recognise fire can strike any home and act now.

"Firefighters have too often attended tragedies that could have been prevented if very simple precautions had been taken to make a home and the people in it safe.

"Cooking appliances should never be left unattended while they are in use and we should all be aware that cooking and alcohol are a potentially lethal mix."