Smoke detector raises alarm after chip pan fire

Having a working smoke detector paid off for a Salisbury household this morning (31 July) when potential disaster was averted.

Five people living in a house at Pinewood Way, Bemerton were woken just after 3.30am when their smoke detector sounded. They found that a chip pan had been left on and was issuing thick smoke.

The fire was put out before the crew from Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service arrived. One man at the house suffered smoke inhalation and another man suffered burns to his foot while removing the pan from the kitchen and taking it outside.

Group Manager Phil Jones said: “Without a working smoke detector, this incident could have been much worse. Most fires in the kitchen are caused by carelessness or forgetfulness – it is vital that you always check and double check that pans have been removed from the hob and all heat sources have been switched off.”

An on-line home fire safety check is available at www.wiltsfire.gov.uk together with a range of fire safety advice.

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