Mat makes kitchen fire safety a piece of cake

27 August 2019

Public, Home fire safety

With a new series of The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) returning to television screens this week, Kent firefighter and previous GBBO star Mat Riley is here to remind the public of some simple yet vital safety tips to follow when cooking, baking or frying. Fires in the kitchen accounted for nearly 40% of all accidental household fires in Kent last year, with some of the most common causes of kitchen fires being leaving cooking unattended or storing items on top of hobs. 

Over the next month, we will be releasing a short video each week onto KFRS' social media channels to remind the public of some important fire safety advice. The videos are hosted by firefighter Mat Riley, who starred in series six of the popular baking show. Each clip will demonstrate an important safety message; from keeping cooking areas clean and clear, to dealing with minor burns and scalds.

“My time on The Great British Bake Off was a fantastic experience, and I was so pleased to get to week seven on the show," says Mat.

"I still enjoy being in the kitchen now, and regularly bake cakes for my family and colleagues at the station. But on a serious note, being both a baker and a firefighter, I know the risks that are associated with being in the kitchen and feel it is incredibly important we ensure everyone knows how to stay safe when cooking or baking."

"Our tips are so easy to stick by, yet you’d be surprised by how many kitchen fires the service attends each year. So hopefully by promoting important safety messages to the community, we’ll be able to prevent as many cooking-related fires as possible.”

While many budding bakers will be looking to whip up some homemade goodies this month, it’s important to follow our safety advice while doing so:

  • Never leave cooking unattended – if you really need to leave the room, turn off the heat
  • Keep the oven, hob, cooker, and grill clean. A build-up of fat or grease can easily ignite and cause a fire
  • Always ensure the cooker and hob is turned off once you’ve finished cooking     
  • Keep tea towels, cloths and other items away from the cooker and hob    
  • Keep pots and pan handles out of reach and never leave children or pets in the kitchen unsupervised    
  • If you burn yourself in the kitchen, cool the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes, call the NHS 111 service for advice (or 999 in an emergency) before covering with loose cling film.

Tune into our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram every Tuesday to see a new video presented by GBBO star Mat Riley.

   
*Music copyright is attributed to Tom Howe. The Great British Bake Off® and Bake Off® are both trademarks of Love Production*