Fire chiefs chip in with a warning

FIRE chiefs have warned residents of the dangers of chip pan fires following a pair of blazes in Edinburgh in less than four hours.

The first call came at 12.49am on Friday to Calder View in Wester Hailes, where four crews tackled a kitchen fire in a third-floor property.

Later, at 4.21am, the fire service confronted a kitchen blaze in Juniper Place.

A fire service spokeswoman said: “Chip pans are a common cause of house fires, as this week’s activities show.

“We recommend people stop using them and switch to a deep fat fryer. If you must use a chip pan never leave it unattended and don’t fill more than a third full of oil.

“If fire breaks out, switch off the heat if safe to do so, then leave the kitchen, closing the door behind you.

“Call the fire service out and stay out of the property until they arrive to deal with the blaze.”