16 December 2009

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service is reminding people to be careful in the kitchen following a fire in Burnham yesterday.

Firefighters from Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross were called to the house in Eastfield Road at 12.15pm after the owner returned home to find a fire in the kitchen.

Station Manager Keith Williams, who was also at the incident, said: “Crews arrived to find a well-developed fire in the kitchen which had started after a pan was left on the cooker. The fire had spread to the next room.

“The crews worked extremely hard to stop the fire spreading further within the house, confining fire damage to the ground floor only.”

Firefighters used one hose reel, two sets of breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera to make sure the fire was out, and ventilated the house using a large fan.

One woman was treated by South Central Ambulance Service for the effects of breathing in smoke.

Firefighters rescued a dog and gave it oxygen therapy.

Terry Ridgley, head of the community safety team, said: “Most house fires start in the kitchen. It only takes a moment’s distraction while cooking for something like this to happen.

"I would particularly like to remind people to check that they have turned the oven, cooker or hob off when they have finished cooking”.

Terry offered the following kitchen safety tips:

• Don’t leave pans unattended. Take them off the heat if you have to leave the room. Fire starts when your attention stops
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean. A build-up of fat and grease can easily catch fire.
• Take care late at night – it’s easy to be careless when you’re tired or if you’ve been drinking.
• Don’t put anything metallic inside the microwave.
• Take care if you are wearing loose clothing – it can easily catch fire.
• Don’t overload sockets – use one plug in each socket. If you have to, use a fused adaptor and keep the total output to no more than 13 amps.
• Remember – high-rated appliances like washing machines always need their own socket.
• Keep electrical leads and appliances away from water.
• Check the toaster is clean and is away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
• Turn off electrical appliances when they are not being used and service them regularly.
• When you’ve finished cooking, make sure the cooker or oven is turned off.
• Don’t use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark devices are safer.
• Turn saucepan handles so they don’t stick out from the hob.
• Keep the oven door shut.
• Keep electrical leads, tea towels and cloths away from the cooker.
• The kitchen isn’t a play area – don’t leave children on their own in the kitchen.
• Keep matches and saucepan handles out of reach.