Stay safe and enjoy Pancake Day

As pans sit poised, lemon juice is stocked up, and many families plan just what toppings to decorate their creations with fire chiefs are calling on residents to have a fun yet safe Pancake Day.

And along with delivering a message over staying safe in the kitchen, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service wants to see the exciting pancakes being created – along with offering the chance to win a £50 voucher.

This month the service has launched its Look When You Cook safety campaign in an effort to reduce the number of house fires which begin in the kitchen. The message comes in response to the month offering up plenty of opportunities to rustle up some dishes with Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day and Chinese New Year all falling in February.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, February 16), to mark Pancake Day, we will be announcing details of how to win a £50 Just Eat voucher on our Facebook page along with offering the chance for people to share photographs of their pancake creations.

Earlier this month the service revealed how in the last five years 1,756 out of 2,898 fires in Staffordshire homes started in the kitchen. In addition, out of those incidents, 1,061 were caused by cooking.

Mark Walchester, head of the service’s central prevent and protect, said: “People are spending a lot more time at home at the moment and something like Pancake Day gives everyone some much-needed fun in light of the current situation across the country.

“But we would hate for a happy occasion to be ruined by a fire. Sadly, so many fires begin in the kitchen and these can cause damage to the whole house and put people’s safety at risk.

“We are simply asking people to ‘look when you cook’ and not get distracted. Ultimately everyone wants to enjoy something like Pancake Day and we look forward to seeing your creations.”