THREE people nearly had their chips when their frying pan caught light. Or rather—they did have their chips, but were lucky to escape without getting burned. The frying oil suddenly went up in flames in the kitchen of their flat last night
THREE people nearly had their chips when their frying pan caught light.
Or rather—they did have their chips, but were lucky to escape without getting burned with their dinner.
The frying oil suddenly went up in flames in the kitchen of their flat in London’s East End last night.
But someone thoughtlessly threw water on the oil—instead of covering it with a damp cloth.
“They were lucky to escape injury,” said fire brigade watch manager Matt Hyde.
“Throwing water onto burning oil is the worst thing you can do. It expands rapidly in the high temperature and splatters the oil in all directions.
“The three of them could have been seriously burned. But they managed to put the fire out and were sitting in the living room eating the chips with burgers when we got there.”
The alarm was raised by a neighbour
when smoke poured onto the fourth-floor balcony of Prusoms Island five-storey block in Wapping High Street.
Advice from the London Fire brigade
on chip pan fires is never pour water on burning oil, but to turn off the gas or electric power immediately, throw a damp cloth over the flames and stand clear.
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