Adelaide man saved after dinner disaster

An Adelaide man's botched attempt at cooking dinner could have cost his life.

Adelaide fire fighters broke into the smoke-filled city apartment just after midnight to find the dinner on fire in the kitchen and the would-be chef unconscious in bed.

The man had started cooking dinner but then left it unattended when he went to bed and fell asleep.

"The gentleman is lucky that the alarm is connected to the Metropolitan Fire Service," Commander Greg Howard told reporters on Tuesday.

"Breaking in saved that man's life. If that person had not been rescued by the MFS, they would have passed away."

The man was treated by paramedics at the scene.