Unattended cooking causes kitchen fire
Firefighters were called to a flat fire in Colchester last night after a neighbour heard smoke alarms going off and called the Fire Service.
On arrival, two crews from Colchester reported that the kitchen in a first floor flat was smoke logged.
Crews extinguished the fire by 10:22pm and believe it was caused by cooking left unattended on a hob.
More than half of accidental fires at home are started by cooking - follow our cooking safety advice to stay safe in your kitchen:
- Take care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking. Take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk
- Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe
- Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
- Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
- Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking
Read more home fire safety advice here.
Do you have working smoke alarms?
We want every home in Essex to have a working smoke alarm on every floor.
If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, please get in touch so we can see how best to provide fire safety advice, either through a Home Safety Visit or advice over the phone.
You can get in touch with us at essex-fire.gov.uk/book.