PICTURES: Fire in chip shop
Firefighters have issued safety advice after a fire in a fish and chip shop in Debden this morning.
Crews reported on arrival that the property was completely smoke logged and a fire was burning within the kitchen area of the premises.
Firefighters worked hard to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible. Due to the prominent location of the restaurant, a safety cordon was briefly put in place while crews made the area safe.
The fire was out at 12.06pm.
Glenn Jackson, who was in charge of the incident, said: "I'd like to thank our crews for their hard work this morning - these incidents can be very tricky, but their professionalism made sure that it did not become more significant.
"We believe this fire was caused accidentally, after a build-up of fat and oil in the ventilation system of the property ignited. In recent weeks we've seen a number of similar incidents - so please do follow our safety advice and keep your kitchen and cooking areas clean.
"In the event of a fire, you should always put your own safety first and not attempt to tackle the fire - please get out, stay out and call the fire service out."
Wherever you're cooking, please follow our safety advice:
- Take care when cooking with oil - it gets very hot and can set alight easily
- Keep cooking areas, ovens and ventilation clear from materials and clean from fat or oil - you'd be surprised how easily a fire can break out
- Never leave cooking unattended while the oven or hob is in use
- Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob
- Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
- When you're finished, double check the cooker is off
Could you be an on-call firefighter?
Some of the firefighters who attended this incident are on-call firefighters, who live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and are paid to attend incidents in their community.
If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter.
Find out more about the role at essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call
