Derbyshire Fire And Rescue Service Urge Caution After Kitchen Fire

At 00:12 hours on 19 July 2017, firefighters from Belper, Duffield and Alfreton were called to a house fire on Bargate Road, Belper.

One male, aged 49, was rescued from a first floor bathroom window via a ladder, before being handed over to the ambulance service.  Fortunately he sustained no serious injuries.

The property was fitted with working smoke alarms, which alerted neighbours to the danger and prompted them to call 999.  On arrival, crews discovered a fire in the kitchen on the ground floor of the property, with a fire investigation determining that the most probable cause of the fire was cooking that had been left unattended.

Station Manager Michael Haslam said, “Over 50% of all accidental house fires start in the kitchen, therefore it is extremely important that you should never cook whilst tired, or after consuming alcohol.  Tiredness and alcohol can have a detrimental effect on your ability to prepare food safely, meaning accidents could occur more easily.

“Thankfully, the property had working smoke alarms, so neighbours were able to alert the fire service quickly, ensuring crews were able to respond and rescue the occupant as quickly as possible.  However, this could have been very different if it was not for working smoke alarms.”

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people of the following safety advice:

• Don’t cook if you feel tired or fatigued.  Don’t cook after drinking alcohol.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Double check to make sure your cooker is turned off after using it.
• Have smoke alarms fitted on every level of your home.
• Test your smoke alarms weekly – only working smoke alarms can give you valuable early warning of a fire, giving you the best possible chance of escaping a fire.
• Have a pre-planned and practised escape plan that everyone in the home is familiar with.
• In the event of a fire, Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999.

For more information about keeping safe, visit www.derbys-fire.gov.uk. You can also follow our social media channels, Facebook and Twitter for regular fire safety advice and information.