A DYNAMIC fire safety campaign helped reduce kitchen fires over the festive season.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Your Grill Can Kill initiative, which was supported by TV chef Aldo Zilli, was launched to help underline the dangers of leaving cookers, grills and deep-fat fryers.
Indications are the number of accidental house fires started in the kitchen over Christmas and New Year were lower than the same period in 2006.
The figures, covering December 17-31, show there were no chip pan fires over the Christmas period (compared with three at Christmas in 2006) and unattended cooker fires decreased from 10 in 2006 to six in 2007.
Chief fire officer Steve McGuirk said: “The Your Grill Can Kill campaign has proved to be an excellent way to get our safety message across, and it is welcome to see a reduction in the number of house fires started in the kitchen.
“While these numbers may seem small, the misery to families who are victims of a house fire, and the cost of damage to property is something that can’t be underestimated.
“By getting across this important message, we were able to prevent some of that misery and make a difference in our community – helping people stay safe over Christmas and New Year.”
Nearly 50% of all accidental house fires in Cheshire start in the kitchen, often when cookers and grills are left unattended.
The campaign was supported by newspapers and radio stations across Cheshire.
Banners were displayed at 24 fire stations across the county, and more than 20,000 households received leaflets about the campaign.
For more information on how to stay safe in the home and reduce the risks of kitchen fires, visit www.cheshirefire.gov.uk
