Cooking a major cause of house fires in Northamptonshire, latest stats reveal

In 2018/19, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) attended 335 fires in people’s homes, 51 of which were linked to the kitchen.

With many cooking fires affecting the elderly and those who live alone, NFRS is also reminding family members, neighbours and carers to keep a close eye on the kitchen safety of vulnerable people.

NFRS prevention team leader at Darren Carson said: “Fires can be caused by becoming distracted, leaving pans unattended – perhaps even falling asleep while cooking is on.

“Across the country, cooking is known as one of the leading causes of house fires, so NFRS is keen to remind people how they can best keep safe.

“We are asking people to not only pay attention to their own cooking, but also the cooking safety of other people they know who may be vulnerable in some way.

"Even popping around to see an elderly neighbour to test their smoke alarms would be a thoughtful thing to do and could potentially save their life in the event of a fire.”

Each year the service carries out thousands of home safety checks in which experts visit elderly, immobile or vulnerable people in Northamptonshire to make sure their properties are not at risk of fire.

The visits include assessing a home to check on a variety of issues, including making sure exits are clear, appliances are being used safely and that there are enough working smoke alarms throughout a property.

Home safety checks can be requested on NFRS' website for people over the age of 60 or those who have a physical or mental health need that affects their ability to react or escape in a fire.

For details on how to request one of these for yourself, a friend or family member, visit northantsfire.gov.uk/safety/hsc/