THe Edinburgh Reporter Fire Appliance

Two people suffered slight burns to their hands after attempting to extinguish fires in their kitchens in two separate incidents in Edinburgh yesterday.

One man suffered slight burns to the hand after a chip pan fire in the kitchen of his flat in Craigour Place, Edinburgh in the afternoon.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews from Liberton and Newcraighall fire stations responded and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly extinguished the fire within the kitchen and requested an ambulance to attend so the man’s condition could be assessed.

The man had attempted to put out the fire with a fire blanket and sustained slight burns to his hand.  Firefighters applied burns gel packs to the hand until the arrival of the Ambulance Service.

One female casualty was also assessed on scene by ambulance personnel for slight smoke inhalation.  Neither required hospital treatment.

Another man suffered slight burns to the hands after a grill pan caught fire in his kitchen at his flat in Greendykes Road, Edinburgh yesterday morning.

Crews from Liberton and Newcraighall responded and gave first aid to the man until the arrival of the Ambulance Service.  He was treated at the scene by Ambulance personnel but did not require hospital treatment.

Station Manager Alex Hume said: “Our advice to anyone who does experience a fire within the home is to get out, stay out and call us out.  Close the door behind you and never try to tackle a fire yourself.

“More fires begin in the kitchen than in any other room of the house and traditional chip pans are a particularly high fire risk. We would urge everyone take a few simple steps to keep themselves and those around them safe.

“By never leaving pans unattended while in use and by keeping any flammable materials, such as kitchen towels, etc., away from sources of ignition, we can dramatically reduce the chance of fire starting.

“Chip pan fires very quickly spread flames, toxic smoke and heat so having early warning is vital to preventing serious injury or worse. There is much less chance of someone being seriously hurt or killed by fire if a house is protected by working smoke alarms.

“Having a smoke alarm fitted can limit the damage to property by allowing firefighters the chance to respond earlier to extinguish the fire. Working smoke alarms provide householders with an early warning that will enable them to escape the property during the early stages and can prevent injuries and deaths caused by fire.

“Crews across Edinburgh and in every community throughout Scotland routinely visit members of the public in their own homes to offer advice and to fit smoke alarms to help them stay safe from fire.

“If you or someone you know could benefit from a visit, please join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, by texting ‘check’ to 61611 or by contacting their local fire station.”

A wide range of tips on how to keep yourself and your home safe from fire are available on the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk

 

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.