National Chip Week!

Believe it or not but this has been National Chip Week!

We seem to have a new initiative every week but they are usually for a good reason or worthwhile cause.

The slogan is "cook your chips, not your kitchen"

The main advice from Cheshire Fire & Rescue services is that you can reduce the chance of having a fire in your home, by throwing away your traditional chip pan as they can cause fatal fires.

There are other options for cooking chips that will keep you and your family safer.

• Microwave them. It's quick, easy and they taste just as good

• Choose oven chips instead. Not only are they safer to cook but they're lower in fat too

• Instead of cooking chips at home, why not buy chips from the local chip shop

• Buy an electric deep fryer and ditch the chip pan. They are much safer

Tips for cooking chips safely

• If you must cook chips in a traditional chip pan you should follow these fire safety tips:
• Don't cook after drinking alcohol
• Don't throw water on a chip pan fire
• Don't overfill a chip pan with oil — never fill it more than one-third full
• Take care when cooking with hot oil — it sets alight easily
• If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
• Use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can't overheat.
• Do not leave cooking unattended and avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.
• Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil so it doesn't splash.

What to do if a pan catches fire

• Don't take any risks
• Turn off the heat if it is safe to do so
• NEVER throw water over it
• Don't tackle the fire yourself

Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999

If you want to see what happens in a chip fire have a look at this video from the Fire Service - just press the link