Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is sharing cooking safety advice throughout July and reveals that just under half of all cooking fires are caused when people are distracted or asleep.
Each year cooking causes more accidental fires in the home than anything else. In 2020, there were 260 cooking fires in Essex homes and just under half of those fires were caused when people were distracted or fell asleep while cooking.
Will Newman, Head of Prevention at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said:
“Around 60% of accidental fires at home are started by cooking, and by keeping an eye on your cooking at all times, you can reduce the risk of a kitchen fire. It's easy to enjoy cooking more safely with a little research, planning and awareness.
“We know it’s easy to get distracted, it could be a quick phone call, you sit down to watch tv or you’re in a busy household…but if you can take simple steps like never leaving cooking on the hob unattended, this can greatly reduce the risk of a fire.
“If you do need to leave the room, remove pans on the hob from the heat or turn the heat down. Set timers for your cooking in the oven so you don’t forget about it. If you are feeling tired, we recommend you don’t cook and instead grab a takeaway or snack.
“We’ll be sharing more advice throughout the month about outdoor cooking safety and the same advice applies, never leave things like barbeques and pizza ovens unattended.”
With bubbling pans, open flames and maybe a little one or a pet underfoot, kitchens are potentially dangerous places. To help keep you and your family safe while cooking, the Fire Service advises:
For more cooking safety advice, visit the Essex Fire service Website