On Friday 26 October Solihull Fire Station invited members of local community groups to an open evening showing the dangers of fire in the home.
Included were demonstrations of the right and wrong ways to put out a chip pan fire, the alarming speed in which a lit match could turn a lounge into an inferno ( about 2 minutes!) and a presentation from the ladies at the 999 emergency call centre.

Does your home have a working smoke alarm?
Every year the Fire Brigade is called out to over 60,000 fires in the home, killing nearly 500 people and injuring over 11,000. Many of these deaths and injuries could be prevented if people had early warning and were able to get out in time. Fitting and maintaining a smoke alarm could help save your home and the lives of your family. Smoke alarms can detect fires in their earliest stages and sound a loud warning alarm. This alarm can give you those precious few minutes for you and your family to get out safely.
It is vital to regularly test and renew your alarms battery for it to be useful.

The evening was well attended
Barbara Lintern, Jim Brodie, Brian Brown and Ian Sill
Station Officer Jim Brodie with Members of
Cheswick Green Residents Association
Chip pan fires maim and kill.
Before putting food in the pan, dry the food.
Never fill a pan more than one-third full of fat or oil.
Never leave the pan unattended when the heat is on.
Never put the food in the pan if the oil is smoking.

If your pan does catch fire
Turn off the heat if it is safe to do so.
Run a cloth under a tap and wring it out.
Cover the pan and leave it to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Whatever you do, do NOT throw water over the fire and do not move the pan, the effects can be devastating.
If you are in any doubt about whether to try to put out a chip pan fire yourself then don’t – leave the room, close the door and call the Fire Brigade.

When reporting a fire be specific
If you have to telephone 999 to report a fire clearly state the location and type of fire. Give extra information to help locate the location, proximity to well known pubs, buildings and road junctions. The control centre covers a large area with many 'High Streets', 'Station Roads' and ' Avenue Roads'.
Be Specific and stay on the line until told to put the phone down.

Visit the West Midlands Fire Service website www.wmfs.net
for detailed information on the Fire Service in your area.

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