Firefighters respond to pizza oven fire in Chadwell St Mary
In the early hours of Sunday 18 February, firefighters from Orsett and Grays Fire Stations were called to Nicolas Walk, Chadwell St Mary, following reports of a garden fire.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered a fire that had spread to a wooden structure adjacent to the pizza oven and also to the neighbouring fence.
Watch Manager Kevin Smith, who praised the neighbours for quickly called 999 when they spotted the fire, said:
"The residents had been using a brick built pizza oven that evening and had done the right thing by removing the embers.
"However, the oven itself and the cooking hot plate remained very hot which radiated heat onto the wooden structure built near the oven, causing it to catch alight."
Watch Manager Kevin Smith issued a crucial reminder to all pizza oven owners, urging them to ensure their ovens are fully cooled and positioned at a safe distance from combustible materials such as sheds, fences, trees, shrubs, or garden waste.
This incident highlights the importance of fire safety and the necessity for proper precautions, particularly when using outdoor cooking equipment.
The fire occurred during the National Fire Chiefs Council's (NFCC) Cooking Safety Month, which aims to educate the public about kitchen and cooking fire safety.
Follow the fire service’s advice to enjoy cooking outside safely;
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue, pizza oven or any cooking
- Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies
- Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues and make sure it's lifted off anything flammable like decking
- Never use a barbecue or pizza oven indoors
- Only use recognised lighters or starter fuels to light your barbecue or pizza oven - never use petrol or paraffin
- Never leave your cooking unattended
- Make sure you're wearing the right clothing to avoid burns - wear heat protective gloves and don't wear anything loose
- Make sure your barbecue or pizza oven is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste
- Allow ashes to cool and empty them onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. Hot ash can melt plastic and cause a fire