Nearly two thirds of all domestic fires happen because of cooking. The kitchen is the most dangerous place in your home, and it is often the same reasons for fires starting. Understanding the different fire risks whilst cooking can help you to avoid having a fire in your kitchen – check out the below information and advice below to help you keep safe whilst cooking.
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With bubbling pans, open flames and possibly young children or pets around, kitchens are potentially dangerous places. Here are our top tips to reduce fire risks:
- Try not to leave cooking unattended on the hob or grill. If you have to leave the kitchen, for example to check on children or to answer the door, turn off the heat.
- Be aware of fabrics, as loose clothing can easily catch fire, so take care not to lean over a hot hob. Always keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
- Try to keep the oven, hob, cooker hood, extractor fan and grill clean. Built up fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire.
- Use spark devices to light gas cookers. They are much safer than matches or lighters, as they don’t have a naked flame. They are safer around children too.
- Double check the cooker and hob are turned off when you’ve finished cooking. If you're forgetful, try getting in to the habit of taking a photo of the turned off hob if you have a smartphone. The action will remind you to double check every time.
- Never leave anything on the hob, even when it is turned off. Fires are often reported because the cooker has accidentally been turned on when something has been left on the hob, such as a pan or a tea towel.
- Keep items away from the hob when cooking, particularly electrical leads.
- Check toasters are clean and not placed under kitchen cabinets or close to anything that can catch fire.
- Never dry clothes or put anything metal in the microwave.
- Always keep an eye on children and pets in the kitchen; leaving them unsupervised can lead to accidents.
- Turn saucepan handles so they do not stick out where they can be accidentally knocked, and also so they are not over another hot ring as this can make the handle extremely hot.
- Keep the oven door shut.
- Make sure your ventilation is working properly and not blocked up, especially if you have a gas cooker.
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Deep fat fryers fires cause one fifth of all accidental dwelling fires attended by the Fire and Rescue Service in the UK each year. About twenty people are killed or injured every day in accidental fires that start in their kitchen, with the most common of these being caused by deep fat frying. If you do choose to use a deep fat fryer, make sure you do it safely. Avoiding deep fat frying is the safest thing you can do - using alternative methods such as oven cooking chips can help to reduce the risk.
Think about what you are doing when you are deep fat frying. Remember, you are heating up as much as several pints of oil to extremely high temperatures. The oil can cause terrible burns and go up in flames. Once a fire has started, it can be difficult to put out as it is an ideal fuel for fire.
Here are some tips for deep fat frying safely:
- Never fill a deep fat fryer more than a third full of oil.
- The safest way to deep fry is to use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer. Its thermostat stops it from overheating.
- Never leave your cooking unattended. Even if the phone or doorbell rings. Remember, fires start when your attention stops.
- Dry your food in a clean tea towel before putting it in the fryer this is because water can make the oil erupt violently.
- Test the temperature with a small piece of bread or potato. If it crisps quickly, the oil is too hot so turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
- If there are flames, never throw water over the pan as it will erupt, violently spreading the fire.
- If you have consumed alcohol, do not be tempted to cook with a chip pan.
Dealing with a fire in the kitchen
The Fire Service usually recommends that if you have a fire in the kitchen, do not take any risks, get everyone out of your home and call the Fire and Rescue Service. If you are not sure you can handle the fire or if it is spreading from its starting point then it is almost certainly already too big and you should leave the building immediately. If you cannot deal with the fire, close the door on the way out and call 999.
If in doubt, get out and call 999.
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More advice to help keep you safe
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