Advice issued following kitchen fire
We are urging people across Staffordshire to take extra care in the kitchen following a fire at a home in Tamworth recently.
We sent a local crew to an address off Fasson Close just after 12.30am on Saturday (20 January) when a cooking pan caught fire.
Firefighters extinguished it just after 1.15am and cleared the home of excess smoke.
A woman, in her 70s, was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
Station Manager Duncan Cole, said: “It can be easy for accidental fires to start in the kitchen. They can quickly spread out of control and cause widespread damage, and that’s why we’re urging people to be extra vigilant and take extra care when they’re cooking.
“Food should never be left unattended when it is being cooked and extra checks should be made to ensure that devices like hobs and cookers are properly switched off after they are used.
“Once finished, make sure nothing is placed on hot surfaces or any electricals are left near to heat sources.”
Our Top 10 cooking tips are:
- Look when you cook. Take any pans off the heat if you have to leave the room. If your pan does catch fire do not remove or attempt to extinguish it. Get out
- Do not use a chip pan, use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer instead
- Do not leave children alone in the kitchen whilst cooking with the hob or oven
- Do not place anything metallic in the microwave
- Keep electrical leads away from water and keep electrical leads and cloths away from the hob
- Avoid cooking if you have been drinking alcohol
- Keep the oven and grill clean, a build-up of fat and grease may catch fire
- Take care if wearing lose clothing as it can easily catch fire particularly when using the hob
- When you have finished cooking, double check that you have turned off the oven
- Do not use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark devices are safer.
For more information on how to stay safe in the kitchen, visit our website: Safety at home (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)
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