A SMALL child had a lucky escape when a fire broke out in the kitchen of a flat on Saturday morning.

The adult man with the three-year-old boy alerted firefighters shortly before 10am and got both himself and the youngster out of the building before they arrived.

Crews from York and Acomb dealt with the blaze, which was in a first-floor flat on Clementhorpe while Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics treated the man and child for smoke inhalation and took them to York Hospital for check-ups.

They were not believed to be seriously injured. 

Crews had to use breathing apparatus inside the building as they put the fire out. 

Firefighters remained at the scene for some time clearing smoke out of the building and checking that it was safe before leaving. 

The cause of the fire is being assessed.