Cooking

There were over 500 cooking fires in Lancashire last year. Many were caused by people getting distracted or using the cooker as storage.

Take pans off the heat or turn the heat down if you’re distracted or called away from the cooker.

Use a thermostat-controlled deep-fat fryer, which will make sure fat doesn’t get too hot.

If you’re off enjoying a night out, consider preparing some food for when you come home or perhaps visiting a takeaway instead if you are hungry. Cooking under the influence of alcohol is a really bad idea.

Don’t overfill a pan with oil – never fill it more than one-third full.

Don’t store items on cooker hobs. Radiated heat can easily ignite combustible items. It is easy to accidentally turn on the wrong dial for the hob or oven.

Avoid storing items in the oven incase it gets switched on accidentally. However if you do, it is best to ensure they are clean and free from a build up of grease or food residue.

If your pan does catch fire, don’t throw water over it; especially if you were cooking with fat or hot oil.

Be very careful if you are wearing loose clothing.

Below is an interview with Ben. He had been on a night out with friends, had a bit too much drink and decided to cook some food when he got home. Unfortunately for Ben, he fell asleep whilst his food was still cooking.