Chip pan fire in Ferndown prompts warning
Firefighters are asking us to avoid using the cooking equipment
There's a warning from firefighters to avoid using chip pans in Dorset, following an incident in Ferndown.
Crews from Ferndown and Redhill Park were called to Pickard Road on Saturday lunchtime (26th November).
A pan of hot oil had caught alight.
It was taken out of the house to be extinguished, with firefighters giving first aid to the elderly occupant, before paramedics arrived.
Station Manager Chris Wood, who attended the incident said:
“Firefighters arrived at this incident within six minutes and did a great job in preventing the fire spreading further. We do not advise residents to use chip pans but realise they can’t always be avoided. If you have to use a chip pan, please never leave it unattended. If the oil or fat within the pan starts to smoke, turn off the heat and leave it to cool. You should never put food into a pan when the oil is smoking.
“If your pan does catch fire, do not try to move it and never throw water over the pan. If you can, turn the heat off, leave the room and property and call 999.”
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is also calling on people to make sure they have working smoke detection in their homes.
There should be an alarm on every level of your home, and they should be tested weekly.