Keep looking when cooking: reminder about cooking safety

We’re backing our friends at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and reminding customers of the importance of cooking safely to help reduce accidental fires at home.

In total last year, the fire service attended 603 residential fires caused by cooking, which was almost half of all accidental fires in the home in Greater Manchester in 2022.

Though this figure has reduced by almost 150 incidents since the Cook Safe campaign was launched in 2022, it’s important that we continue to reduce the number of accidental fires that start in the kitchen and help keep residents safe.

That’s why we're supporting GMFRS's Cook Safe campaign, which urges people to be aware of the dangers of cooking-related fires and take action to keep themselves and their families safe and prevent fires.

Here’s some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of fire in the kitchen:

• Never leave your cooking unattended
• Keep looking when cooking - it’s easy to get distracted while cooking, which can result in accidents causing fires
• Try using the oven or thermostatically controlled friers instead of a chip pan
• Take care when frying - hot oil or fat can easily catch fire
• Never cook if you’ve been drinking alcohol

Scott Maddocks, our Head of Property Safety, says: "Keeping customers safe in their home is our priority and we know the devastating consequences that fires in the home can have. We want to see the number of cooking-related fires reduce further, that’s why we’re supporting the Cook safe campaign to get the message out.

“Look out for useful cooking and kitchen fire safety information here on our website and our social media channels, and please like and share to help spread the word.”

Read more about the Cook Safe campaign on the GMFRS website.