Forgotten frying pan causes fire at Portslade retirement flats

A pensioner suffered smoke inhalation after an unattended frying pan caught fire at a retirement flat in Portslade yesterday evening.

Fire Crews from Hove, Roedean and West Sussex were sent to the Hazel Holt retirement flats in Chalky Road at 6.52pm.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used a hose reel jet to quench the flames, and a specialist fan to clear out the smoke from the flat.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “A home safety visit was carried out following the incident, which was the result of an accidental fire caused by a frying pan left on the stove. One elderly person was left in the care of paramedics.”

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said: “Ambulance crews attended but the patient, who was reported as suffering from smoke inhalation, was able to be checked over and discharged from our care at the scene.”

The fire service issued this general advice to avoid kitchen fires, which account for more than half of accidental fires at home and usually happen when people are not paying attention, or leave things unattended.

How to cook safely

There are several things you can do to prevent fires in the kitchen. Make sure you don’t get distracted when you are cooking, and:

• Take pans off the heat or turn the heat down if you’re called away from the cooker, eg by a phone call.
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing as it can catch fire easily.
• Don’t cook if you have been drinking alcohol or taken prescription drugs – you may get drowsy or lose concentration.