Take care in the kitchen

The most common causes include chip pans, leaving cooking unattended, excess oil or fat, tea towels or drying clothes too close to cooker and electrical faults.

Ian Hayton, Chief Fire Officer, and Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “The kitchen is the most dangerous place in the house as there a lot of extra hazards and people just need to be very careful.

"Something as simple as turning away from the cooker to answer the phone, watch television or look after the children can be distractions that lead to disaster.

“You have to extra vigilant when cooking. Never leave it unattended, make sure the surfaces are clean and do not use a chip pan. Kitchens can also be a popular room for leaving washing to dry and this can lead to radiated heat starting a fire.

“We do not want your kitchen to be the next one to be damaged in this way.”

Latest figures show there have been five kitchen fires a month in May, June and to date in July, adding to the two reported in April.

For safety tips go to www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/cooking