When the Chips are (Burning the house) Down

Don't FRY and DIE !!!!!

Everybody has seen the demo of the chip pan fire – when the fire fighter  all  togged up in protective clothing drops a cup of water into a chip pan and the flames soar 50 feet in to the air.

No ............... you haven’t !       Well here is the video to get you in the right frame of mind for what comes next. What you need to remember is water expands to 1,700 times its original volume when it is converted to steam, so when the water hits the oil and expands you have 1,700 cups of steam pushing  hot oil and flames into the air and over you.  

Here’s  What NOT To Do......

However if  it is safe to do so - here is how to smother a chip pan fire  (and we cant say that loud enough)  - IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO - if in any doubt dial 999 and get the fire brigade to deal with it.

So -------- back to the plot .............chip pan fires. 


Since we have been running the firecutscostlives campaign we have been made aware of several chip pan fires  - including sadly the  death in Bradford of a man who by WYFRS criteria lived in a low risk area. The article we posted about this death is available here.  

Regardless of how many smoke alarms you possess if you walk away and leave a chip pan un attended  it will overheat and ignite.  And remember also  - a pan should never be more than a third full of oil or you risk it over flowing and catching fire on the heat source below it.

So whats the answer ........... well under normal circumstances we would say buy a reputable deep fat fryer, used correctly they are designed  to operate within safe temperatures. make sure they are used on a stable surface, and plugged in with the socket adjacent to (not behind) the fryer. So if there is a problem you can safely turn off the electricity supply. And always keep a fire safety blanket in your kitchen (handy if the toaster sets alight too!).

But in reality deep fat fryers are expensive and  many people in west yorks simply cannot afford them. And then of course there is  the urge for fried food when you have come back from a night at the pub and have the munchies.  Chip pans and alcohol  really do not mix......... order a take away curry instead or maybe even  a ...........kebab.

At one point WYFRS used to give away deep fat fryers - until one had an electrical fault and caught fire.

Perhaps vouchers for free oven chips are the answer.................... but until then please be careful if you are deep frying anything tonight.