Fire brigade aims safety campaign at students (From The Northern Echo)

Fire brigade aims safety campaign at students

5:40pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Hartlepool News

MORE than half of all accidental house fires investigated by Cleveland Fire Brigade began in the kitchen, figures have revealed.

Between 2009 and last year, there were 614 blazes, 333 of which started in cooking areas. Six people died and 128 were injured.

In a bid to prevent further fatalities, the brigade has launched Kitchen Safety Week at Hartlepool College of Further Education.

Safety tips were demonstrated and a home safety DVD was screened at the launch.

Similar events are planned for Middlesbrough and Stockton.

Leaflets, radio adverts and competitions are being used, and social media sites targeted, in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue.

Phil Lancaster, the brigade's director of community protection, said: "Akey part of fire prevention work is about identifying people who are at risk and giving them the right advice and information.

"The statistics are very clear.

"Over half of house fires start in the kitchen and of these fires almost twothirds are caused by people leaving cooking unattended or using old-fashioned chip pans.

"This demonstrates that the kitchen is the biggest fire risk in the home and, during the week, we'll be involved in a number of initiatives to help people stay safe."

Deaths included those of a 20-year-old in Hartlepool and a young mother from Billingham.

As a result, the brigade is targeting students and young people.

Mr Lancaster said: "We have decided to focus the Kitchen Safety Week campaign around local colleges because this is a phase in students' lives when they will start spending more time in the kitchen preparing and cooking meals, and it's really important to get into safe cooking habits as early as possible."

Cleveland Fire Brigade provides free home safety visits and will fit smoke alarms.

For more information, call 01429-874063.