VIDEO: Emotional safety plea after man dies in South Yorkshire house fire

The man in his 60s was rescued from his house in Barnsley on New Year's Day, where he had been cooking on a stove in his bedroom, but he died later in hospital.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) said the tragedy highlighted the importance of having a smoke alarm fitted and testing it regularly.

Group manager Andy Strelczenie appeared in a video urging people not to put their lives at risk by failing to fit or regularly test a smoke alarm.

"We know only too well how devastating these incidents can be to the family and friends, and also to the local community in the area," he said.

"So what I'm asking for you to do for me and on behalf of SYFR is if you don't have a a working smoke alarm then make it you new year's resolution to get one fitted, and if you do then please make it your resolution to ensure it's tested at least once a week."

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Clarendon Street at around 9.30pm on Monday, when a neighbour raised the alarm.

An investigation found the fire had started around a stove used for cooking in the man's bedroom. SYFR said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man's death.