Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Highfield Close, St Austell at 22/07/2010 22:14

Two crews from St Austell were mobilised to a property whose smoke alarm was sounding and there was a smell in the property. When the fire crews arrived they found the alarm had been set off by fumes from the cooker. A positive pressure ventilation fan was used to clear smeech from the property. One female casualty was treated on scene by Ambulance crews.

It was fortunate for the occupant that they had a working smoke alarm that was able to alert them to the situation before a fire had developed. Without this early warning this incident may well have ended with tragic consequences.

General Fire Safety Advice:
~ Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly
~ Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire
~ Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers
~ Never leave lit candles unattended Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully
~ Never smoke in bed Keep matches and lighters away from children
~ Keep clothing away from heating appliances
~ Take care in the kitchen! Accidents while cooking account for 59% of fires in the home
~ Take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking. Half of all deaths in domestic fires happen between 10pm and 8am.

Although having a working smoke alarm will not stop a fire from happening, it may give you time to escape safely if a fire does start.

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=7275