Kitchen Fires Spark Fresh Safety Warnings From KFRS

"Take care in the kitchen" is the message from KFRS after a spate of fires in the Swale area

Two Sheppey appliances were sent to a fire at Clarence Row in Sheerness at 7.47pm on Sunday evening (24 January) after a cooker was left on and caused fat residues to ignite. The room was left smoke damaged.

Meanwhile, Sittingbourne crews were tackling a blaze at Lower Road in Teynham after paper which was left close to the cooker caught light. Crews were called at 7.42pm and had dealt with the small fire within eight minutes.

These incidents followed a similar fire in Coldharbour Lane, Sittingbourne at 7.19am on Saturday morning (23 January) when an electric hob was accidentally turned on and set light to a cardboard box which had been left on top. Two crews from Sittingbourne attended and had extinguished the fire by 7.34am.

KFRS Community Safety Manager Charlie Smith said: "Our crews did a fantastic job in attending so quickly and dealing with the incidents so swiftly. Fortunately no-one was hurt in any of these incidents while only fairly minimal damage was caused.

"However, these fires highlight the care that needs to be taken in the kitchen as a moment of distraction can quickly and easily lead to a major blaze - the outcome for others could easily be tragic."

Residents are advised to take the following safety measures:

• Don't leave pans unattended. Take them off the heat if you leave the room. Remember, fire starts when your attention stops
• 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
• Do not leave items on top of a hob in case it is accidentally turned on
• If you are going out for a night out and may be drinking, try and pre-plan for your return home and take a snack from the fridge or cupboard instead of turning on the cooker for a hot meal.
• Fit smoke alarms on every floor of your home, and test the batteries regularly
• If there is a fire, get out, stay out and call the Fire and Rescue service.