Crews issue cooking advice after kitchen fire
Crews have issued safety advice after a kitchen fire in Waltham Abbey.
We were called to a semi-detached house in Ruskin Avenue today at 10.57am and crews from Loughton, Harlow and Cheshunt (Hertfordshire) attended.
The fire was out when crews arrived but they used a fan to clear the smoke, isolated the electrics and gave oxygen to the occupants, who had breathed in smoke.
Crew Manager Stephen Gill said: "They were cooking sausages and it appears oil in the frying pan got too hot, ignited and set fire to the cooker hood.
"The fire damaged kitchen units but thankfully it did not spread to any other rooms.
"Unfortunately the occupants breathed in smoke while putting out the fire and needed treatment. We would always advise residents not to put themselves at risk if there is a fire in their property; get out, stay out and call 999.
"As this incident shows, please take care when cooking with oil. If it starts to smoke that means it’s getting too hot, so take it off of the heat and let it cool down."
Cooking with hot oil?
- Take extra care – hot oil sets alight easily
- Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn’t splash
- If the oil starts to smoke – it’s too hot; turn off the heat and leave it to cool
- Use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can’t overheat
- If your pan catches fire, turn off the heat if it is safe to do so
- Never throw water or a damp tea towel over a chip pan fire
