Cookers, stand-alone hobs and other cooking appliances are the domestic appliances most likely to start fires on the Isle of Wight.
New figures from the Home Office show that 29 house fires were started by a household appliance on the Island between April 2017 and March this year.
More than half the incidents attended by the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were started by cookers, with 17 fires causing one death or casualty over the year.
Cooker fires most common
The most common domestic appliances to cause fires on the Isle of Wight between April 2017 and March 2018 were:
- Cookers, including ovens: 17 fires
- Separate rings and hot plates: 4
- Other cooking appliances: 3
- Fridges and freezers: 1
Duty of manufacturers and householders
The Fire Brigades Union warned that both manufacturers and householders have a duty to prevent fires caused by everyday appliances.
A spokesman for the union said:
“Manufacturers have a duty to ensure the products they sell are safe for the public to use and do not pose a threat to life.
“Make sure that the electrical wiring in our homes is in good order, and ensure that we have working smoke alarms and we have a plan for what to do if they go off.
“We can all play our part in reducing fire risk by registering products with the manufacturers when we buy them, so that we are notified if there is a safety-related recall.”
Fatal consequences
Between April 2017 and March 2018, two fires started by domestic appliances caused deaths or injuries.
More than three fires were started by faulty appliances or leads on the Isle of Wight over the financial year. Across England, such faults started over 2,400 fires.
Causes of the fires
The most common reason for fires started by appliances was misuse of the equipment, which caused 21 fires on the Isle of Wight, and over 8,700 nationally.
But the old staple of fire safety talks, chip pans, were still the cause of five fires on the Isle of Wight, and nearly 1,600 fires nationally.
Article shared by Data Reporter as part of OnTheWight’s collaboration with Press Association and Urbs Media
