Kitchen fires

Many house fires start in the kitchen. One of the most common causes of these fires is food boiling dry. Fat or oil begins to burn at high temperatures. Get into the habit of never leaving anything on the stove.

If a fire starts in a pan, move the pan off the hotplate and extinguish the fire with a pan lid. Do not pour water into the pan if fat or oil is burning. The water will vaporise and there will be a strong reaction that will spread the fire and could cause serious burns.

It is important to regularly clean the filter in your extractor fan. If a fire starts in a pan, it can spread and set the fat in the extractor fan alight.

We also recommend installing a stove alarm or a timer on your cooker hob and coffee machine, for example. After a certain amount of time, the timer cuts the power and minimises the risk of a fire. 

How to ensure fire safety in your kitchen

• Keep the kitchen clean and do not store objects on or around the stove.
• Never leave the kitchen while anything is still on the hob.
• Check that the hob is turned off when you leave your home or go to bed.
• Regularly clean the filter in your extractor fan. Fire can spread and set the grease in the fan alight.
• Install a timer on the stove and coffee machine. After a certain amount of time, the timer cuts the power, reducing the risk of a fire. 
• If you have left or nearly left something on the hob before, you might want to fit a stove alarm. This is an electronic device that monitors the hob and cuts the power if there is a fire risk. There are also stove alarms with automatic extinguishing systems.
• If a fire starts in a saucepan/frying pan – extinguish the fire with a lid or fire blanket and move the pan off the heat.
• Never pour water into the saucepan/frying pan if fat or oil is burning. The water will vaporise violently, splashing burning and boiling oil everywhere. This can lead to burns and fire.
• If an electrical device starts to burn – first pull out the plug, then pour water over the device and take the device outside if possible.