Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 11/07/2011 16:15

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is launching a ‘Watch What You Heat’ campaign to encourage everyone who cooks to do so more safely.

Crew Manager Mark Pratten from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service’s prevention team is co-ordinating the kitchen safety campaign with firefighters attending a series of community engagement events to highlight the dangers and to give advice on how to protect your family and your property.

A fire appliance from Camborne Community Fire Station will be attending Camborne Community Action Day at the Pengegon Estate on 04 August. There will be a demonstration of the dangers of a chip pan fire and a chance to see the CFRS new fire sprinkler demonstration unit in action.

On 06 August, CFRS will on Lemon Quay in Truro for a kitchen fire safety day. Once again a fire appliance will be attending together with the CFRS chip pan fire and fire sprinkler demonstration units as well as a CFRS aerial ladder appliance. The event will also be raising money for LARF Cornwall, a charity set up to support teenagers and young people with cancer.

Mark says: “Cooking a nice family meal might only be remembered for a day or so, losing your home and belongings to fire will be remembered for a lifetime. Last year in Cornwall, CFRS attended 333 fires in domestic properties and 173 of these fires started in the kitchen area. Sadly, four people lost their lives in accidental fires last year and two of these fires originated in the kitchen area. These are two in a series of county wide road show events we will be attending to give out advice on how to avoid becoming such a statistic.”

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service are asking the people of Cornwall to use this simple check list to safeguard against accidental kitchen fires.

Make sure you have a working smoke alarm and test it weekly
Always keep your oven/grill pan clean and well maintained.
Make sure you avoid distractions whilst cooking
If you are called away from the kitchen, make sure you remove the pan from the hob and turn off the heat
Avoid wearing loose clothing which could easily catch fire
Avoid cooking if you have been drinking alcohol or taken prescription drugs, as you may fall asleep, become drowsy or disorientated
If using a stove top pan whilst cooking with oil, ensure that the pan is no more than one-third full
If a pan of fat catches fire never use water to extinguish it as this will cause a fireball
Never tackle a pan fire yourself, turn-off the power supply if it is safe to do so, close the door to the kitchen, get out

GET OUT, STAY OUT AND DIAL 999

For more information please contact the free 24 hours fire safety information line on 0800 3581 999 or visit the CFRS pages on the Cornwall Council website www.cornwall.gov.uk/fire