Cooking at home is a popular pastime, but did you know it’s also the most common cause of house fires in the UK?

Faulty appliances, lapses in concentration and a lack of equipment capable of tackling fires or alerting people to them (and the potential for them) all contribute to devastating consequences. At Firechief® Global we are committed to making the world a safer place and that means helping people understand the risks to help prevent and respond to fires.

Whether it’s a quick and easy tea, the occasional slap-up meal or Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, we all love to cook at home. There is nothing quite like a lovingly prepared meal or something you’ve made from scratch that puts a smile on the faces around the table and leaves everyone wanting more.

However, it’s not always plain sailing regarding home-cooked meals. According to UK government statistics, the most common cause of house fires is cooking.

A Government study revealed that around 44 per cent of fires between March 2022 and March 2023 were caused while cooking. Most of these fires were caused by cookers and ovens. Next were rings and hot plates, followed by grills and toasters.

Now we could very easily say “Well these people should install a kitchen Stove Guard in their homes to stop fires before they start.” Instead, this made us think. With winter fast approaching and the festive period not too far away now, more of us will be using our ovens or calling on slow cookers, air fryers and other kitchen appliances to prepare food, but how many of us are prepared for the risks associated with cooking at home?

Current home fire safety setups

Firechief® Global commissioned a home fire safety survey of 3,000 UK residents to learn about their current home fire safety setup and whether they felt confident and equipped to act or escape should a fire occur.

Most people feel safe at home

Of the 3,000 people surveyed, 97 per cent responded saying that they felt safe in their living space.

These opinions ranged from saying that they felt completely safe to mostly safe and somewhat safe; meaning they all felt that – in some way – they had the home fire safety products, accessories and measures in place to either respond to or prevent a fire.

Young people are not confident in escaping a house fire

The survey revealed that 90 per cent of all respondents felt confident that they could escape a fire in their home, but 86 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds did not feel confident in their ability to escape from a blaze.

This is concerning from an educational perspective as it shows that the younger generation does not understand the best ways to get away from house fires, but it’s even more concerning when you factor in that this demographic is quite likely to be away from home living in student accommodation.

Home Office statistics showed that 66 per cent of fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services at student halls of residence in 2019/20 were started by cooking appliances. With such a significant risk it is vitally important that anyone living in student halls understands the evacuation procedures when moving in, and the measures in place to reduce the risks in the first place.

At present there is currently no legal obligation for existing student accommodation to have sprinkler systems, but the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) recommends that sprinklers be installed in all new student halls of residence and those undergoing refurbishment.

While these measures are extreme and would require expensive updates from the landlord’s perspective, sprinkler systems can save lives by preventing the spread of fire giving people time to evacuate.

What can be done as an alternative, more effective fire safety solution?

Fire safety accessories such as Firechief® Kitchen Stove Guard can effectively prevent kitchen fires before they start. As mentioned above, sprinkler systems can prevent the spread of a fire once it has started, but in an ideal world they would be stopped before they start and that is what the Stove Guard has been designed to do.

The intelligent heat sensor provides continuous monitoring of cooking activities on the stove and will sound an alarm, and then automatically shut off power to the stove when it identifies dangerous pre-fire conditions. Fully compatible with existing alarm systems, the Stove Guard from Firechief® Global can be installed in a matter of minutes meaning landlords can provide fast, effective protection for all residents – peace of mind for students, their parents and the Universities.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Stove Guard or any of the other fire safety products mentioned in this article, please get in touch with a member of the Firechief® team who will be happy to assist you.

Disclaimer

The Firechief® range includes high-performance fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kits, lithium-ion fire extinguishers and the Kitchen Stove Guard. For more information, call us on +44 (0)330 999 0019 or email sales@firechiefglobal.com.

The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult any and all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where felt necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader's risk.