FIRECREWS have warned homeowners about kitchen fire risks after attending two in close succession.

Firefighters in Clacton were called to two houses on Friday evening.

A chip pan caught light on a stove in Bister Road 5.46pm, leaving 60 per cent of the house smoke logged.

The fire was put out by 6.05pm.

Just 15 minutes later, at 18:20, crews were called to a second kitchen fire in Battisford Road.

They extingushed the blaze by 6.34pm.

Assistant Divisional Officer, Chris Noakes warned householders to take care while cooking.

He said: "These two fires occurred in close succession around the time many people would have been cooking their dinner and both showed the importance of fire safety in the kitchen.

“Our firefighters attend hundreds of fires a year which originate in the kitchen. Cooking is one of the major causes of fires in the home and even the smallest kitchen fire can cause devastation to your home and leave loved ones injured or even killed.”

A quarter of kitchen fires are caused by deep fat frying and these fires.

Tips to keep kitchen fire safe include avoiding leaving cooking unattended, keeping tea towels away from the cooker and keeping cookers, toasters and hobs cleaned.

ADO Noakes added: “If a fire does break out in your kitchen the do not attempt to tackle it yourself. Just get yourself and your family out and call the fire service, We can deal with the fire safely and quickly."

He also advises that all homes should have regularly tested smoke alarms.