Fire service warns "Watch what you heat" (From Falmouth Packet)

Fire service warns "Watch what you heat"

11:20am Sunday 27th May 2012 in News

With more than half of all house fires starting in the kitchen, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is encouraging residents to "Watch what you heat".

Firefighters from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service were called to 290 house fires between April 2011 and March 2012 and 154 of these started in the kitchen.

The vast majority of these kitchen fires were cooking related, said crew manager Mark Pratten, from the CFRS Prevention Team.

“A moment’s distraction while cooking can have disastrous consequences,” he added. “Most cooking fires are the result of food catching on fire after being left for too long on the hob or under the grill.

“Worryingly, a third of these kitchen fires occurred in homes where there was no working smoke alarm. Smoke alarms will pick up traces of smoke before you do, giving you and your loved ones precious time to escape to safety.”

To avoid becoming a kitchen fire statistic, CFRS has the following tips for staying safe in the kitchen: • Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home. Check them weekly and don’t take the batteries out! Smoke alarms will detect traces of smoke before you do, giving you precious time to escape to safety.

• Never leave cooking unattended. Remove pans from the heat if you are called away.

• Turn off kitchen appliances when you have finished cooking.

• Avoid cooking if you are or have been drinking or are tired or taking medications which make you drowsy. It’s all too easy to fall asleep while waiting for food to cook.

• Keep your oven and grill pan clean and well maintained. A build up of fat and grease can heat up and catch alight.

• Don’t wear loose fitting clothing around naked flames.

• And if you come across a fire in your home – shut the door on the fire (if it is safe to do so) and get out, stay out and call 999.

For more safety tips visit www.cornwall.gov.uk /fire or call our free 24 hour fire safety information line on 0800 358 1999.