Chip pan fire

Firefighters have given safety advice about what to do if you have an oil fire following a chip pan fire in Wickford last night.

Crews were called to a kitchen fire in Jersey Gardens, Wickford at 9:42pm.

On arrival, crews reported that a chip pan was on fire and had spread to the kitchen curtains.

Crews extinguished the fire by 10:22pm.

A man was left in the care of the Ambulance Service after suffering smoke inhalation.

Firefighters from Basildon Fire Station fitted two smoke alarms at the property as there were no working smoke alarms inside.

Watch Manager Mark Blakebrough from Basildon Fire Station said: “Please take care when cooking with oil, oil fires can quickly spread out of control.

“Keep a close eye when cooking with oil and if it starts to smoke, that means it’s too hot and you need to take it off the heat.

“If the oil does catch alight, if it is safe to do so turn the power or heat source off and never put water on it. Instead, get out of the house, stay out and call the fire service.”

Even if you’re careful, it’s still possible that oil could catch fire when cooking. If it does, remember:

• Never throw water over an oil fire as it could create a fireball (see video below)
• Don’t attempt to tackle the fire yourself or move the pan
• If it’s safe to do so, turn off the heat
• Leave the room, close the door and alert others in your home before going outside and calling 999

For more cooking safety tips, visit: essex-fire.gov.uk/cooking-safety-advice

Do you have working smoke alarms at home?

Buying and fitting smoke alarms, and ensuring they are properly maintained, could give you those precious extra minutes to escape safely in the event of a fire.

We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home, and that you test them at least once a month. Smoke alarms save lives.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms, please get in touch. Visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088.

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Firefighters from Wickford Fire Station are on-call firefighters, who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and attend incidents.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of Wickford Fire Station and can cover daytime hours, you could be an on-call firefighter and be paid to protect your community.

Find out more about the role at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call