Fire crews warn against late night frying

Plymouth firefighters will be holding chip pan fire demonstrations in the city centre this week to warn against the dangers of late night frying.

As part of National Chip Week (16-22 February), fire crews will be in Sutton Harbour on Thursday (19 February) lunchtime to show what can happen if a chip pan is left unattended.

Last year, more than half of all accidental fires in the home nationally started in the kitchen. Chip pans alone cause around 6% of all fires in the home.

Plymouth firefighters are particularly concerned about late-night kitchen fires, particularly where people have been affected by drinking alcohol.

They would like to reduce the number of incidents they are attending by persuading late night revellers to either buy a take away or use an alternative to a deep fat fryer.

Watch Manager Mark Wood, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “The smallest distraction when using a chip pan could lead to a fire in a matter of moments. Oven chips are a safer and healthier way to enjoy your favourite meal, but if you do choose to deep fat fry please don’t leave the pan unattended. If your pan does catch light, don’t throw water over it – get out, stay out and call 999.”

Charlotte Malcolm, Commercial Marketing Manager for Sutton Harbour Holdings plc, said: “Chip pan fires can quickly escalate to cause substantial damage, and we hope this demonstration will help the fire service to convey in a very effective way the dangers of leaving a chip pan unattended.”

The chip pan demonstrations will take place in Sutton Harbour on the quayside between the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop and Captain Jaspers on Thursday 19 February, from 11.30am to 1pm.

If you do decide to deep fat fry your chips, these simple safety tips could help reduce the risk of fire:

• Use a temperature controlled deep-fat fryer
• Check that it doesn’t overheat - hot oil can catch fire easily
• Don’t overfill a chip pan with oil – never fill it more than one-third full
• Never throw water on a chip pan fire
• Don’t cook after drinking alcohol
• Have an escape route in place in the event of fire
• Don’t take risks by tackling a fire. Get out, stay out and call 999
• Get a smoke alarm and test it monthly.

For further advice on fire safety visit www.dsfire.gov.uk