Five kitchen fires, including a cooker fire in Maidstone, have prompted firefighters to issue tips to prevent them.

Fire crews were called to a house in Roseholme, Maidstone, at just after 7pm yesterday (Sunday) after an oven caught light, although the blaze was extinguished by the time they were on the scene.

Other crews attended fires in Ashford, Gravesend and Chatham, all on the same day.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service head of community safety, Stuart Skilton said: “These incidents demonstrate that care in the kitchen is vital and a fire can break out so easily. Fortunately no-one was seriously hurt in any of these callouts but the outcomes could easily have been tragic, especially those in the early hours when people had fallen asleep after turning their ovens and hobs on.

“No doubt these residents will be tidying up today and we hope that others learn from this and take greater care in the kitchen.”

Safety tips include: not to leave cooking unattended; keep the oven, hob and grill clean; fitting smoke alarms and never filling a pan full of oil as it starts to smoke when heated. For more advice on fire safety visit www.3breaths.info