Wales – don’t burn out during Six Nations

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is issuing serious warnings during Wales’ Six Nations Championship. As people across Wales enjoy a feast of rugby over the next few weeks, Firefighters in Wales would like to see success on and off the field for the communities they serve.

The Six Nations Championship will see thousands of rugby followers watching the six nations matches with alcoholic drinks, either in their own houses or out at pubs, soaking up the atmosphere.

Rugby fans and the communities of South Wales are asked not to risk cooking after they have been drinking and to opt for a takeaway instead.  The worst result that Wales could receive during the championship and any other time would be to lose someone in a fire that could have been avoided.

Alcohol can seriously affect judgement, especially if faced with an emergency situation such as a chip pan or other cooking-related fires.

In Wales in 2010-2011 there were 752 accidental fires in the home, nearly half of these did not have smoke alarms fitted.

During the same period, 4 lives were lost in accidental dwelling fires in South Wales. 3 of these fatal fires were caused by smoking materials (e.g. cigarettes), which can also be a big danger when under the influence of alcohol. Although, there were no fatalities caused by cooking there were 296 (39%) dwelling fires caused by lack of care and attention whilst cooking.

Acting Chief Fire Officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Huw Jakeway said,

“We strongly advise against drinking alcohol and then trying to cook yourself a meal. Our Firefighters regularly attend serious house fires which have been caused by a lack of attention whilst cooking. The results can be devastating, even fatal, so please find an alternative to using cooking appliances when you’ve had a drink – Opt for a takeaway instead!”

One of the biggest problems is the old-style chip pan, where the oil overheats and catches fire, or when the oil spills over onto the cooker and catches alight. The combination of drowsiness from the alcohol and the time taken for a chip pan to heat up can result in a serious fire.

A chip pan left alone takes just three to five minutes to ignite, if a full flame is on. The fire can quickly spread from the kitchen to the rest of the property.

Remember:

•  Never cook food, especially fried food, after drinking alcohol – ‘Drinking and Cooking Don’t Mix’
•  If you need to eat after alcohol, consider your local takeaway before going home or order some food for delivery
• Think about preparing something before you go out to eat when you get home.

If you cook chips or deep-fried food at any other time, follow these guidelines:

• Never fill the pan more than one third full with oil
• Never leave the pan unattended with the heat on – even for a few seconds
• Dry the chips before putting them in the pan
• Never put the chips in the pan if the oil begins to give off smoke. Turn off the heat and leave the oil to cool otherwise it could catch fire
• Use a thermostatically controlled electric deep-fat fryer. It cannot overheat

If you are confronted with a chip pan fire, leave the kitchen, close the door behind you, get everyone out of the house, stay out, and call the Fire and Rescue Service out.

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