Have a safe and happy pancake day

Date published: 05/02/2008

On the day when traditionally many families in Greater Manchester reach for the frying pan to make pancakes the fire service want you add a special ingredient to the mixture of eggs, flour and milk – safety!

Greater Manchester’s Chief Fire Officer, Barry Dixon said: "We want everyone to have a fun family time if they celebrate pancake day – don’t let an accidental fire  make it memorable for the wrong reasons, it only takes a moments distraction to cause a serious incident."

To help reduce the chance of an accidental fire always remember the following points:

• When using a frying pan or cooking with hot oil never leave the pan unattended when the heat is switched on, even to answer the "phone or the door.
• Do not move the pan if it is on fire.
• Never put the food in the pan if the oil begins to give off smoke.
• In the event of a fire, Get out, Stay out, call us out. 

The best defence against making sure an accidental fire doesn’t become a tragedy is to ensure you have a properly sited working smoke alarm – and an escape plan so that everyone in the house knows what to do if it does go off. 

Anyone in Greater Manchester having concerns about fire safety in their home can arrange for a free home fire safety risk assessment on 0800 555 815 or by visiting:

• www.manchesterfire.gov.uk