The staggering cost of kitchen fires in Lancashire revealed
Residents are being reminded of the financial and personal risks posed by kitchen fires, after shocking statistics were revealed by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS).
Last year LFRS attending 288 cooking-related incidents across the county - the majority of them preventable.
Items left on hobs caused 122 incidents, often when cookers were still warm or accidentally switched on. Distraction while cooking led to 86 fires, while other factors included grease and oil build-up (nine incidents), not using a timer (13 incidents) and faulty appliances (15 incidents).
£10m
Mark Warwick, Group Manager and cooking safety lead at LFRS, said: “A kitchen fire can cost an average of £35,681 to recover from. Many of these fires start in everyday situations that could be easily avoided.”
He added: “Keeping hobs clear, cleaning regularly, staying focused while cooking, and ensuring smoke alarms are working are simple steps that can make a significant difference in preventing fires.”
Using average cost data, the financial cost of kitchen fires in Lancashire last year was £10,276,128.
Tips
Residents are reminded to:
- Pay attention and avoid distractions while cooking
- Clean cookers to remove grease and oil build-up
- Never use the hob as a surface for storage or preparation
- Fit and test smoke alarms regularly
For further advice on cooking safely, visit: www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk/cooking