We still see a substantial number of kitchen fires involving deep frying with oil or fat. However, it is possible reduce the fire risks of deep fat frying:
- Take extra care when cooking with hot oil as it can easily overheat and catch fire.
- Never fill a pan more than one third full of fat or oil.
- Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil – oil and water are a dangerous mix.
- If the oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
- Use an electronic deep fat fryer if possible – they have automatic temperature controls, and are much safer.
It's also really important to keep the hob, cooker hood and extractor fan clean too – built up fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire.
