Chip pan fires cause one fifth of all accidental dwelling fires attended by the fire and rescue service in the UK each year.*

Nearly 20 people are killed or injured every day in accidental fires that start in their kitchen, the most common of these caused by deep fat frying. If you do choose to deep fat fry your chips, make sure you do it safely. Better still, choose oven chips or use a thermostatic fryer.

Cooking chips in an old-fashioned basket in a saucepan is very dangerous - here's some useful advice to reduce the risk of an accident:

• Never fill a chip pan more than a third full of oil 

• Consider using a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer 

• Never leave your cooking unattended. Even if the phone or doorbell rings. Remember – fires start when your attention stops 

• If you’ve consumed alcohol, don’t be tempted to cook with a chip pan. 

What to do if you do have a chip pan fire: 

• Call the fire and rescue service on 999 immediately 

• Don’t take risks 

• Have a clear escape route 

• Never move the pan 

• Turn off the heat (if it's safe to do so) 

• Never use water on chip pan fires, as this will cause a fireball. 

The most common type of fire is caused by deep fat frying. There are thousands of people injured in these kinds of fires each year.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Never fill the pan more than one third full 

• Dry food before putting it in (water can make the oil explode) 

• Test the temperature with a small piece of bread or potato. If it crisps quickly, the oil is hot enough 

• If the oil starts to smoke, don’t put the food in. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool 

• Don’t ever leave the pan unattended 

• If there are flames, never throw water over the pan. It will explode. 

The safest way to deep fry is to use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer. Its thermostat stops it from overheating.

*www.fireservice.co.uk