Cooking oil causes kitchen fire
Firefighters are urging residents to keep a close eye when cooking with oil after a kitchen fire in Stanway today.
Two crews from Colchester were called to Wren Close, Stanway at 2pm.
On arrival, crews reported the kitchen was heavily smoke logged and worked to extinguish a fire within an extractor fan.
The cause of the fire was oil in a pan that had overheated.
Firefighters fitted new smoke alarms at the scene after one of the smoke alarms on the ground floor failed to activate.
Watch Manager Dan Davis from Colchester Fire Station said: “Most of the house fires we go to start in the kitchen and that’s why it’s really important to keep a close eye on your cooking. Especially when cooking with oil, it can overheat really quickly and catch fire.
“We also recommend having at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and please make sure to test them all regularly.”
Cooking safety
More than half of accidental fires in the home are started by cooking - it can be incredibly dangerous if you don't take precautions:
- Take care if you need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking, take pans off the heat
- Don't cook if you are tired, taking medication that makes your drowsy or have been drinking alcohol
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
- Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking
Do you have a smoke alarm?
Smoke alarms save lives. They can alert your family as well as your neighbours and passers-by to a fire in your home if you're not home.
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.
If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms, please get in touch.
