A HUNGRY dog smoke-logged a house when he turned a stove on reaching for food.

The elderly Alsatian had been left at home on Clover Drive, Lache with just another dog for company when he sniffed out a stew in a plastic container on the electric hob.

Sensing an opportunity, he leapt up and placed his front paws onto the knobs, inadvertantly turning the cooker on.

Crew manager Anthony McCarthy from Chester fire station was at the scene with two appliances at around 1.30pm on Sunday.

He said: "It was bizarre. The heat source melted the plastic and started the fire.

"The occupier, who wasn't in attendance, said the dog has often tried to get the food from the work top.

"The dog was OK. Because dogs are close to the floor they don't tend to get close to the smoke.

"It wasn't particularly down to human error but I wouldn't advise leaving things on top of hobs.

“I've not come across anything like that before and I probably never will again!"