Kitchen blaze sparks smoke alarm warning

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging people to fit and maintain smoke alarms in their property after two incidents of kitchen fires could have been prevented.

Firefighters were called to a property in Wellington at 18:36hrs last night after reports of a kitchen fire.

Appliances from Wellington, Telford Central and an incident commander from Shrewsbury were mobilized to the property on Hampton Hill.

Firefighters entered the property wearing breathing apparatus and brought the fire under control within 20 minutes using a hose reel jet.

The fire had started in the ground floor kitchen after a chip pan had been left unattended. The occupier of the property sustained minor burns and smoke inhalation. and was treated at the scene by fire service personnel before being taken to hospital by the ambulance service.

The occupier's dog was rescued from the property uninjured by fire service personnel. The kitchen of the property was severely damaged in the fire. The fire service remained at the scene for approximately one hour.

No smoke detection was present in the property.

A properly maintained smoke detector would have provided early warning at this incident possibly preventing the fire and subsequent injury.

Home fire risk assessments and free smoke detectors are available from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. For fire safety advice and further information contact 01743 260 298.

16th November, 2007