Three people had a lucky escape from a chip pan fire in Edmonton last night just hours after firefighters defended TV’s Mary Berry stance that deep fat fryers can be dangerous

The fire at a house in Weir Hall Road started when a man started cooking a late night snack and left the fryer unattended. He was alerted to the blaze when another occupant in the house smelt smoke.

Watch manager Mike Cotton, who was at the scene, said: “Mary Berry was right, deep fat fryers, especially the traditional chip pans, can be dangerous and unfortunately they cause serious fires every week. We believe the chip pan was left unattended and then caught alight. If you want to use a chip pan, never leave the pan alone, even for a few seconds, as the hot oil could catch fire.

“Chip pan fires have a very distinctive smell to them and instantly upon arriving at the scene, it was clear to crews what was on fire before they entered the property.

“This family were exceptionally lucky as their property had no working smoke alarms and they were alerted to the fire after one of the children woke up and smelt smoke

“It is also crucial to have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is have the alarms linked together. This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home.”

Thankfully nobody was seriously injured in the blaze. One woman and two teenagers were treated at the scene as a precaution by London Ambulance Service. The kitchen was badly damaged in the blaze but thankfully firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control.

Earlier on Tuesday, fire chiefs came out in support of Great British Bake Off star Berry, who said she thought deep-fat fryers should be banned in homes. Her opinion was condemned by MasterChef Judge Gregg Wallace(opens in a new window) who said she had launched “an attack on our British way of life”.

New figures from the Brigade show deep fat fryers have caused over 630 house fires in London alone since 2010, with over 70 people injured.

Our advice if you have to use a chip pans or traditional fat fryers

We’re particularly concerned about the use of traditional chip pans, which can be hazardous, especially when left unattended.

  • Never fill a chip pan over a third full with oil or fat.
  • Never be tempted to cook with a chip pan after consuming alcohol.
  • Never leave the pan alone with the heat on – not even for a few seconds.
  • Never put the chips in the pan if the oil has started smoking.
  • Turn off the heat and leave the oil to cool down, or else it could catch fire.

In the event of a fire:

  • Don’t panic and don’t take risks.
  • Don’t move the pan.
  • Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on a hot fat fire.
  • If it’s safe to do so – turn off the heat, but never lean over the pan to reach the controls.
  • Leave the kitchen, close the door behind you, tell everyone else in the home to get out and don’t go back inside for any reason.
  • Call 999.

The Brigade was called at 0226 on Wednesday (August 31) and the fire was under control at 0255. Two fire engines from Tottenham Fire Station attended the incident.

Leave a Reply