News release text
Sheppey firefighters believe the Wimbledon men’s tennis final caused a kitchen fire yesterday (Sunday 7 July) and serves as reminder to residents not to become distracted when cooking.
Crews were called to a flat at Halfway Road at Minster-on-Sea at 4.48pm. Watch Manager Andy Bridger-Smart explains: “It appears the resident had put some oil in the oven to heat up in preparation of making some roast potatoes but that was forgotten as the Murray match progressed and it caught light. Fortunately the man did the right thing and got out before calling us out; he wasn’t hurt and there was only some minor heat and smoke damage to the kitchen but clearly this could have been a lot worse.”
Two appliances were sent and fire crews fitted smoke alarms as the property did not have any working devices.
Andy added: “These sorts of fires can occur very quickly and can cause major damage to your home. But they can also be easily avoided if you follow a few basic safety tips and our main advice is to have a working smoke alarm as this early warning can make all the difference.”
Key safety tips include:
Watch what you heat and don’t leave cooking unattended.
Turn saucepan handles so that they don’t stick out from the hob
Never fill a pan more than one third full of fat or oil. If the oil starts to smoke, do not begin cooking - remove from the heat and leave it to cool
Keep the oven, hob and grill clean - a build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire
Prevent children accidently turning on electric cookers by switching them off at the main after use
Fit smoke alarms on every floor of your home, and test the batteries weekly
If there is a fire, don’t take risks by tackling it yourself. Get out, stay out and call the fire and rescue service.
