World Cup kitchen fires fear

FIREFIGHTERS are braced for a sharp rise in cooking fires this month as figures revealed an increase in blazes during the last World Cup.

Kitchen fires went up by nearly a quarter in South Yorkshire during the last World Cup four years ago, with 39 incidents in one month.

Firefighters are urging the public not to mix cooking with alcohol and never to leave cooking unattended, particularly ahead of England’s second game against Uruguay on Thursday evening.

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Station manager Darren Perrott, said: “We want England to perform well away in Brazil, but sadly we fully expect to see another rise is kitchen fires as millions settle down to watch the tournament and probably have a drink at the same time.

“Alcohol and cooking just don’t mix.

“It makes you uncoordinated and more likely to have a fire, and less likely to escape if you do have one.

“Matches kick off late, so there’s the added complication that people may be tired and more easily distracted.

“So if you’ve been to the pub to watch the match, grab a takeaway on the way home instead.

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“Or if you choose to watch it at home, make sure you don’t take your eye off your cooking.”

Top tips for staying safe include:

- Don’t leave cooking unattended and switch off cooking appliances after use.

- Never use a chip pan and don’t attempt to cook after a night out.

- Test your smoke alarms and don’t take the batteries out to power presents.