A Chester business owner has welcomed a fall in the number of domestic kitchen fires within the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, but has issued a warning to homeowners in the build-up to the festive season.
Research carried out by Andy Heaton, owner of oven valeting firm Ovenu Chester, has revealed that 181 of 231 dwelling kitchen fires were caused by cooking appliances in 2015, compared to 201 of the 247 total in 2014 – a 10% drop among those involving cooking appliances.
Despite the decrease, Andy is still warning homeowners to be aware of the dangers of kitchen fires, especially in the build-up to Christmas and the festive period when the oven and other cooking appliances are traditionally used more often with the visit of family and friends.
He said: “While the figures are promising, the number of kitchen fires within the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is still very high, which highlights the need to be more vigilant. Homeowners will be expecting the visit of family and friends over the festive period, and this will most likely lead to a greater use of cooking appliances when preparing cooked meals. With more activity around the home, this can be distracting, so people need to be aware of the risks associated with cooking appliances and equipment.
“Human error is just one of the potential causes of a fire in the kitchen or within the home, but in some cases it may be that ageing appliances need to be serviced or given a thorough clean. People would much rather celebrate the festive period surrounded by their loved ones, instead of dealing with a potentially life-threatening scenario, so it is vital that the proper precautions are taken.”
Ovenu Chester serves home and business in the Chester and Flintshire area, as well as Mold, Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Flint, Broughton, Christleton, Mickle Trafford, Waverton, Tarvin, Tattenhall, Kelsall, Farndon and all surrounding areas.
Andy added: “Hopefully the statistics for 2016 will show a further decrease in the number of kitchen fires, and our dedicated fire servicemen and women won’t have to tackle as many unnecessary domestic fires in the year ahead and beyond.”
For more information about Ovenu Chester, call 01244 879099, email ovenuchester@gmail.com o
