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| Two separate incidents of cooking-related fires in Kent have led to two residents being treated for burns |
In both incidents - at Rochester and Tonbridge - the occupants were alerted by working smoke alarms but firefighters are reminding people of the dangers of leaving cooking unattended.
The first incident happened at 10pm on Friday 4 December when Tonbridge crews were called to a flat in Hadlow Road. Crew Manager Mick Stearn said: "It appears a young man in his 20s had drunk rather a lot before putting his chip pan on but he then fell asleep and it caught light.
"He was awoken by the smoke alarm but mistakenly tried to put the pan outside and suffered burns to his hands in the process. He was taken to hospital for treatment but he was extremely lucky that this wasn't a more serious outcome."
This was followed by a call-out for Strood firefighters at 3pm today (7 December) to Fleet Road, Rochester, after a tea towel which was placed near an oven had caught light.
Watch Manager Martin Simmons said: "The 76-year-old resident and his daughter were alerted by their smoke alarm and managed to call us but he suffered burns in the process and was treated by paramedics. We urge all residents to be careful with their cooking and make sure they have a working alarm or they might not be as fortunate."
By following our safety tips you can keep you and your family safe from fires in the kitchen.
- Don't leave pans unattended. Take them off the heat if you leave the room. Remember, fire starts when your attention stops.
In both incidents - at Rochester and Tonbridge - the occupants were alerted by working smoke alarms
- 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.
- 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.
