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Information and public services for the Island of Jersey

L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

Reduce the risk of fire when cooking









​​Stay safe in your kitchen

Follow these tips to keep safe while you are cooking:

  • take pans off the heat or turn the heat down if you get called away from the cooker
  • take care if you are wearing loose clothing as it can catch fire easily
  • don’t cook if you have been drinking or taking prescription medication
  • turn saucepans so the handles don’t stick out over the edge of the hob or over another ring
  • double check that the cooker is off when you have finished cooking
  • make sure tea towels aren’t hanging over the cooker and don’t put oven gloves on top of a hot cooker
  • keep the oven, hob and grill clean, as a built-up fat and bits of food can start a fire

If a fire starts and doesn’t go out, get out of the house, stay out and call 999.​

Chip pans, cooking with oil or deep-fat frying

Be careful when you are deep-fat frying or cooking with oil as hot oil can catch fire easily. Throw your traditional chip pan away and replace it with a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer, or use oven chips instead.

Chip pan safety tips

If you use a chip pan:

  • don’t fill it more than one-third full of oil
  • dry the chips / food before putting them into the pan
  • if the oil starts smoking, turn off the heat and let it cool down, otherwise it may catch fire
  • turn off the hob if you have to leave the kitchen whilst using your chip pan​

If your chip pan catches fire

If your chip pan catches fire whilst cooking:

  • don't panic and don't take risks
  • don’t attempt to move it
  • turn off the heat if it is safe to do so and don’t lean over the pan to reach the controls
  • don’t use a fire extinguisher on a pan of oil because the force of the extinguisher can spread the fire
  • never use water on chip pan fires as this will cause a fireball
  • leave the kitchen, close the door, get everyone outside and don't go back in for any reason
  • call 999​

Cooking with electrical appliances

If an electrical appliance catches fire, don't throw water on it. If it's safe to do so, you can control the fire by:

  • pulling the appliance’s plug out
  • switching off the power at the fuse box​​
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