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An inventor has launched a product which “could save millions of lives”.

Former fire and flood restoration contractor Paul Evans, 59, unveiled the ‘Ash Fire Naturevent’, which provides an escape route for smoke in the event of a house fire, at North Weald Airfield in Meriden Lane, North Weald, yesterday.

Mr Evans, who spent £20,000 building a timber-framed house on the airfield to demonstrate the product to a live audience, said he came up with the idea in 2007 after being called to rebuild a home that had been severely damaged during a fire.

After eight years of design and trial runs, the businessman hopes that the vent, which opens inwards automatically when fire and smoke is detected, will become a ‘must have’ in every home.

The vent, which is hidden among roof tiles, is located in the roof to release the smoke which rises in the event of a fire.

Epping Forest Guardian:

The vent automatically opens in the event of a house fire.

He said: “I remember walking into this house and it was completely destroyed.

“The energy from the fire had built up inside and just wiped the house, it was awful.

“I thought, how could you stop this? How could you save someone’s life and home?"

Epping Forest Guardian:

Mr Evans paid £20,000 to build the timber-framed house and set a fire in this room.

He added: “I tested it for the first time in 2010 and since then I have been making tweaks to get it perfect.

“The problem is that when a house catches fire, the smoke wants to reach the highest point so by doing this I am giving it the sky.

“The majority of people don’t die from the heat, they die from the smoke.

“I hope that by eliminating that factor until fire fighters can get to the scene it will help to save millions of lives.”

The vent, for which prices start at £3,500, can be purchased, here.