Crews were called to a fire in a house this morning after cooking oil caught alight.

On arrival firefighters reported that there had been a fire in the kitchen of a home in Oxford Avenue, Chadwell St Mary, which was out before they arrived.

Two fire crews attended shortly after 7am this morning. 

Firefighters checked the room and decided to dismantle the cooker hob and cabinets to avoid any further hot spots spreading or smouldering.

Watch Manager Kevin Hercock said: "The owners of the house were lucky that this incident did not escalate into something more serious, but incidents like this still show how dangerous cooking oil can be.

"Three quarters of house fires in Essex start in the kitchen and distraction while cooking is a major cause of house fires throughout the county.

"Always follow our safety tips to stay as safe as possible in the kitchen.

ECFRS' top cooking safety tips are:

• Avoid leaving cooking unattended and never leave children in the kitchen alone.

• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing - it can easily catch fire.

• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.

• Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.

• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.

• Take care when cooking with hot oil - it sets alight easily. If the oil starts to smoke it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool. Ideally cook oven chips but if you are deep fat frying then use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer - they can’t overheat.

• Never try to cook after a night out drinking. It is far better to grab a kebab on the way home than to attempt to cook while intoxicated.

If you would like to arrange for a free home safety visit, during which smoke alarms will be fitted free of charge, then call us on 0300 303 0088 or visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk/book