Chip Pan Safety Week 15-21 February

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging everyone to think safety first when cooking this month to ensure your culinary delights don't turn into a disaster.

Nick Evans, Prevention Manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "This month is guaranteed to have many people in the kitchen cooking with family and friends and we want to make sure you remember it for the right reasons. Just a moment's distraction could turn your kitchen fun into tragedy but following a few simple precautions can greatly reduce the risks".

"I would urge people to first and foremost make sure they have a working smoke alarm installed as this can give you and your loved ones vital time to escape to safety if a fire does break out".

Traditional chip pans can cause fatal fires, so firefighters are urging you to swap chip pans for other ways of cooking chips – to keep you and your family safe.

Safer ways to enjoy chips

• Choose oven chips
• Choose microwave chips
• Buy a portion of chips from Fish and Chips@No 3
• Buy a thermostat controlled electric deep fryer – ditch the chip pan

Chip pan safety tips
If you must use a traditional chip pan, please follow these fire safety tips:

• Never put food into the pan if the oil is smoking
• Never fill a pan more than one-third full of fat or oil
• Never leave the pan unattended when the heat is switched on.
• Make sure that food is dried thoroughly before putting it in hot oil so that it doesn't spit
• If the oil starts to smoke it's too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool, otherwise it may catch fire
• Never deep fry if you've been drinking alcohol or taking drugs – or if you are feeling tired

What to do if a pan catches fire

• Turn off the heat under the pan (if it's safe to do so) and allow it to cool completely
• Don't move the pan
• Never throw water over it – the effects can be devastating
• Don't use a fire extinguisher on a pan of oil – the force of the extinguisher can spread the fire
• Don't tackle the fire yourself – leave the room, close the door, get everyone out and call 999