FIRE service staff have been spreading words of advice to prevent kitchen fires.

Team members visited those who are considered vulnerable or those who may not be able to cook without assistance.

As part of Cooking Safety Week, numerous visits were made to organisations such as Furness Young Carers and Barrow Community Kitchen.

Barrow Community Kitchen prepares food for the town’s homeless.

The firefighters primarily spoke to the voluntary staff to give them advice on preventing kitchen fires.

Roger Exley, station manager for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The majority of fires in Barrow generate from the kitchen.

“It’s usually people who leave the cooking on, people who are drunk and decide they want to start cooking and people with little ones who might knock things over.

“What we’re trying to get across is, try not to get distracted, if you’ve been out just buy a pizza and bring it home, and if a fire does start, make sure you turn the gas or electric off at the counter.”

On Sunday afternoon, Cumbria Fire and Rescue service were called to a property fire at Hollow Lane, Barrow.

The fire, which started on the last day of Cooking Safety Week, began in the kitchen when a chip pan caught fire.

The residents had been cooking vegetable chips in the pan at the time.

The fire resulted in damage to the kitchen and a visit from paramedics.

For advice on safely using a chip pan, visit the fire service website at:

www.cumbria.gov.uk/cumbriafire/services/safetyathome/chippans.asp