Take care in the kitchen warning after firefighters called to two cooking fires in fifteen minutes

FIREFIGHTERS are urging residents to be safe in the kitchen after being called to two cooking fires in the space of fifteen minutes.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) was then called to a third kitchen fire later on yesterday evening (November 25).

More than half of accidental fires in the home start because of something to do with cooking and we are urging residents to take extra care to help keep themselves safe and reduce the need for crews to attend this kind of incident.

Crews were called to a flat in Ramsden Road, Wardle at 3.22pm on November 25 to reports of a kitchen fire.

Crews attended and found a fire in a first floor flat, which had started after someone left a toaster on top of an oven hob and turned the hob on by mistake. Fortunately, when the occupant noticed the flames they closed the kitchen door, preventing it from spreading further before exiting the property.

Three fire engines from Rochdale and Littleborough attended the scene and extinguished the fire using one hose reel, two breathing apparatus and a positive pressure ventilation fan. Crews were in attendance for around one hour.

GMFRS was then called at 3.35pm to another kitchen fire in Mango Place, Salford. Firefighters attended and found a fire involving a pan of food in the kitchen of a semi-detached property.

Three fire engines from Salford and Moss Side fire stations attended and used one hose reel and a breathing apparatus to tackle the fire. Crews also provided reassurance to residents and were on the scene for around 50 minutes.

GMFRS Head of Prevention, Damian O’Rourke, said: “Many of the incidents we attend start in the kitchen and I would urge all of our residents to take extra care when cooking.

“Fortunately nobody was injured at any of these incidents but they are a timely reminder of why being safe in the kitchen is so important.

“I would especially urge people to never leave cooking unattended, to take extra care when cooking with hot oil and to never leave children alone in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on.”

Crews attended a third kitchen fire at 6.43pm at a house in Clifton Avenue, Manchester. The fire involved a grill and was out on arrival. Three fire engines from Withington, Gorton and Moss Side attended and firefighters used a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear smoke from the downstairs of the property and were on the scene for 25 minutes.

Our kitchen fire safety advice includes:

• Never leave cooking unattended
• Take extra care when cooking with hot oil
• Never leave children alone in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on
• Keep your oven, hob and grill clean. A build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire
• Turn off electrical appliances when they are not being used and service them regularly
• When deep frying, always dry the food before you put it in the oil
• Swap your chip pan for an electric deep fat fryer - thermostatically controlled electrical deep fat fryers that plug into the wall are much safer to use
• Always make sure you have a working smoke alarm installed.

If your pan catches fire:

• Don't panic and don't take risks
• Don't move the pan
• Never throw water or use a water fire extinguisher on a hot fat fire
• If it's safe to do so - turn off the heat, but never lean over the pan to reach the controls
• Leave the kitchen, close the door behind you, tell everyone else in the home to get out and don't go back inside for any reason
• Call 999

For a full range of advice on fire safety in the kitchen, click here

Article Published: 26/11/2019 10:43 AM