A man suffered burns to his left hand after he attempted to removed a chip pan which was full of hot oil from the top of the a hob.

Fire crews were sent to the home in Nice Acres, Kennington, at around 11.20pm on Wednesday night to reports that a chip pan had been left unattended. While the pan didn’t catch light, it caused a considerable amount of smoke.

As well as burns to his lift hand, the man, and a second resident, suffered from smoke inhalation.

Head of Community Safety, Stuart Skilton, said: “Unattended pans and a build up of fat and food residue on cooking appliances are common causes of fires that can have serious consequences. If you leave the kitchen, turn the heat off, fire starts when your attention stops.”

A second kitchen fire occurred in Norton Crescent, Tonbridge, after the grill caught light.

Crews were called to the property at about 5.45pm but luckily no one was hurt. However, 20% of the kitchen was damaged by fire while the rest of the house had light smoke damage.

Mr Skilton added: “Just three breaths of fire smoke can be fatal, so it’s vital that everyone has working smoke alarms in their homes. We offer free safety advice and services to everyone but there’s a lot you can do to keep yourself safe.”

Kent Fire and Rescue are asking residents to remember:

Watch what you heat and don’t leave cooking unattended.

Turn saucepan handles so that they don’t stick out from the hob

Never fill a pan more than one third full of fat or oil. If the oil starts to smoke, do not begin cooking - remove from the heat and leave it to cool

Keep the oven, hob and grill clean - a build up of fat and grease can easily catch fire

If you are going out for a night out and may be drinking, try and pre-plan for your return home and take a snack from the fridge or cupboard instead of turning on the cooker for a hot meal

Prevent children accidently turning on electric cookers by switching them off at the main after use

Fit smoke alarms on every floor of your home, and test the batteries weekly

If there is a fire, don’t take risks by tackling it yourself. Get out, stay out and call the fire and rescue service

For further advice on fire safety visit www.3breaths.info or contact the KFRS community safety team on 0800 923 7000.