Reminder never to leave cooking oil unattended following two kitchen fires

Residents are being reminded never to leave cooking oil unattended while on the hob.

Two kitchen fires at the weekend were started as a result of this – and our crews having to be called out.

Mereway and The Mounts were called to a kitchen fire at a domestic property in Five Acres Fold, Northampton, just after 1.30pm on Saturday (June 3).

Two firefighters wore breathing apparatus to tackle the flames, and the crew used a hose reel jet and a safety jet to extinguish the flames. They then used fans to clear the property of smoke and used thermal imaging cameras to ensure the property was at a safe temperature.

The kitchen suffered severe damage from smoke and fire, and crews left the scene shortly after 3pm.

Later on Saturday evening, the Kettering crew were called to a kitchen fire in the town at Carrington Street, just after 10pm.

Thankfully no injuries were reported and the fire was out on arrival, but the property was heavily smoke logged and required ventilation using fans.

Here are some tips on how to stay safe while cooking:

• Don’t leave your cooking unattended and don’t leave children in the kitchen alone when cooking
• Avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol
• Keep flammable items away from the cooker and hob
• Take care with electrics and keep leads and appliances away from water
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and avoid the build-up of fats
• Don’t put anything metal in the microwave
• Take care when cooking with hot oil – it sets alight easily
• If oil starts to smoke – it’s too hot, turn off the heat and leave it to cool, use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer to prevent this

Here’s what to do if the pan catches fire:

• Never throw water over it
• Turn off the heat if it’s safe to do so and do not move the pan
• Do not tackle the fire yourself
• Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999