Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attend kitchen fire in Nairn

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was today called to attend a kitchen fire in Nairn's Albert Street around midday (25 February 2015).

Three appliances, including one each from Inverness, Nairn and Forres, attended the incident.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus used a main jet and two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire, which was so severe it had destroyed the kitchen and spread throughout the house and into the roof space of the two-storey detached house.

Two people were in the house at the time but they had self-evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire service. They did not require medical attention.

SFRS Group Manager Phil Green, who was at the scene today said: "We still have to establish the cause of this fire, but I would like to issue a general reminder to members of the public about the importance of kitchen safety.

"Many kitchen fires happen when people are not paying attention or they leave things unattended but there are several things you can do to prevent fires in the kitchen.

"Don't leave pans unattended and take them off the heat if you have to leave the room. Fire starts when your attention stops. When you have finished cooking, make sure the cooker or oven is turned off. Avoid using chip pans if possible and use a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer.

"We also want people to take action to prevent fires from happening in the first place and the fact is more house fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else. Fire can cause damage not just to your property, but more seriously can put family at risk."

He added: "SFRS crews routinely conduct free home fire safety visits to help householders identify risks and take the simple steps needed to reduce the chance of fires.

"People can arrange a free home fire safety visit and join Scotland's fight against fire by calling SFRS on the freephone number 0800 073 1999 or by texting ‘FIRE’ to 80800, which is also free of charge. Alternatively, visits can be arranged via the SFRS website www.firescotland.gov.uk.”