Residents issued advice following kitchen fire

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents to take extra care in the kitchen after being called to a kitchen fire in Stoke-on-Trent.

Firefighters were called to an address off Pretoria Road, Etruria, just before 11pm on Wednesday (2 November) following reports of a kitchen fire.

Crews from Hanley and Newcastle attended.

On arrival, crews found an electric oven on fire.

Crews used two breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.

No one was injured.

The oven has since been removed from the property.

Darren Jackson, Station Manager at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “More than 50% of the fires we attend are caused by cooking. Distraction is the main cause of these fires, with pans and grills left to set alight because they’ve not been looked after properly. 

“It’s really important that when preparing for meal times we pay close attention to the food we’re cooking and look when we cook, otherwise the consequences could be fatal.”

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

• Look when you cook. Take any pans off the heat if you have to leave the room
• Do not use a chip pan, use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer instead
• Do not leave children alone in the kitchen whilst cooking with the hob or oven
• Do not place anything metallic in the microwave
• Keep electrical leads away from water and keep electrical leads and cloths away from the hob
• Avoid cooking if you have been drinking alcohol
• Keep the oven and grill clean, a build-up of fat and grease may catch fire
• Take care if wearing loose clothing as it can easily catch fire particularly when using the hob
• When you have finished cooking, double check that you have turned off the oven
• Do not use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark devices are safer.

For more safety advice, visit the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service website.