FIRE SAFETY WEEK: Cooking and cooking appliances remain the biggest cause of house fires

By Bob Huggins

Accidental house fires in Northern Ireland are still most likely to start in the kitchen.

Despite a series of awareness campaigns cooking appliances are still the top danger in the home. 

The Fire Service has released new figures as part of fire safety week showing they responded to over 800 accidental blazes in the last two years.

Alan Walmsley, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) explains:

“This North/South Fire Safety Week we are raising awareness of the top causes of accidental fires and we’re challenging the public to think about some of the practical steps they can take to prevent fires in the home.

“Fires from cooking and cooking appliances can be avoided by keeping the oven and grill pans free from a build-up of oils and grease which can easily catch fire. Flammable items such as tea towels and oven gloves should be kept away from the cooker top and always check that the cooker or hob is turned off when you have finished cooking.

(Dame Mary Peters chats with a friend during the Launch

of Fire Safety Week in Belfast)

“More accidental fires happen in the kitchen than anywhere else in the home. It’s easy to get distracted but our advice is never to leave cooking unattended - it’s a very simple message but it has the potential to be lifesaving.

“We know that people aged 60 and over, those that live alone, are disabled or have mobility issues are more at risk of a fire at home. That’s why we are offering anyone who falls into one of these categories a free Home Fire Safety Check. Firefighters will install or check that smoke alarms are working, help to identify any obvious dangers and advise on an escape plan.

“We will be running our ‘STOP Fire’ campaign on radio and TV starting from 2 October. ‘OP Fire’ is an easy to remember fire safety tool for everyone to use. It’s an instant check list focusing on fire safety basics – Smoke alarms, Test them, look out for Obvious fire safety dangers and Plan your escape routes. This enables everyone to quickly decide what fire safety actions they need to take to help keep them fire safe. Our crews will be attending events throughout the week to highlight these important messages.

(Paul Kyle, Commander NIFRS northern area & 

Archie Mckay Assistant Group Commander northern area)

“Our ultimate goal is that no-one in Northern Ireland loses their life due to an accidental house fire and reducing the risk of a fire occurring in the first instance will ultimately help us achieve this goal.”

Eamon Woulfe, Chief Fire Officer, Louth Fire Service, added: “I would like to echo ACFO Walmsley’s comments which certainly reflect our experience in the South.

An increasing percentage of house fires are caused by cooking practices and, similar to the North, the incidence of serious house fires has been much higher for older people living alone. We will be using this year’s Fire Safety Week messages to increase public awareness of home fire safety risks, through our fire safety campaigns, with the objective of further reducing fire fatalities in the home.”