Fire Can Kill

57% of fires in Fife are caused by chip pans, that's according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Figures show crews have responded to 668 cooking fires here over the last five years.

Firefighters are encouraging homeowners to fit their kitchens with a heat alarm.

Prevention and Protection Station Manager Steven Michie said: "Over the last 5 years in Fife, the Scottish Fire and Rescue service have responded to 668 house fires caused by cooking related incidents which contributed to 57% of all house fires in Fife.  These included 102 chip pan frying incidents. The total cooking incidents resulted in 158 casualties which contributed to 64% of all casualties for the 5 year period these included 60 casualties attributed to chip pan frying incidents. Thankfully most injuries were slight and involved precautionary checks sadly however one life was lost in Fife over the last five years due to an unattended chip pan fire."

Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, Director of Prevention and Protection, SFRS said: "Deep frying with chip pans poses an ongoing safety risk so we want to make sure everyone cooks safely and knows the associated dangers. It only takes a moment of distraction, or falling asleep, for a fire in the home to start.  At SFRS we’re recommending:

· Fitting a heat alarm in your kitchen.

· Making sure you have working smoke alarms in your home. 

· If you're tired, have been drinking or have taken drugs, don’t cook. You’ll be less alert to the signs of fire and more likely to fall asleep. Preparing cold food or opting for a takeaway would be much safer options.

· If you want chips at the end of a night out, buy them in a chip shop on the way home, rather than attempting to cook when you get home.  

"The best way to avoid having a chip pan fire is to use a thermostat controlled, electric deep fat fryer instead.  The safety cut-out (thermostat) controls the temperature of the fat or oil. Oven or microwave chips are also safer alternatives to chip pans. 

"If you do use a chip pan and it catches fire, never try to move the pan and never throw water over the pan as it will react violently with the hot oil.  If the fire is well developed get out, stay out, dial 999!  If the fire is in its early stages, and if it is safe to do so, turn off the heat.  Then get out of the kitchen, close the door and call the SFRS."