A SMOKER caused extensive damage to his home when he fell asleep while holding a lighted cigarette.

The man, in his 20s, woke up and fled the building when he realised the settee was alight.

Two fire engines from Evesham attended the outbreak at the first-floor flat in Maycroft, Hampton, at 8.45pm on Thursday.

Four sets of breathing apparatus and one hose-reel were in use when firefighters tackled the blaze.

The man was checked by an ambulance crew but did not need hospital treatment.

"The settee caught fire, I believe he went to sleep. He woke up and saw what was going on and fled," said firefighter Paul Treadwell.

"The settee and the lounge area were badly damaged and there was smoke damage in other rooms.

"Smokers must make sure they extinguish their cigarettes before they go to sleep and avoid smoking when they are tired," he added.