The appliances most likely to start a fire in West Sussex

Cookers, microwaves and toasters are the domestic appliances most likely to start fires in West Sussex.
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New figures from the Home Office show that 258 house fires were started by a household appliance in the area between April 2017 and March this year.

| Also in the news – a mother of three, who lost everything in the bank holiday fire in Worthing, has thanked the community for the ‘fantastic’ support she has received; entries have officially been opened for the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2019; and a Chichester man’s drone firm has been backed by Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones. |

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Two in three incidents attended by the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were started by cookers, with 163 fires causing 26 deaths or casualties over the year.

New figures from the Home Office have revealed the domestic appliances most likely to start firesNew figures from the Home Office have revealed the domestic appliances most likely to start fires
New figures from the Home Office have revealed the domestic appliances most likely to start fires

The most common domestic appliances to cause fires in West Sussex between April 2017 and March 2018 were:

1) Cookers, including ovens: 163 fires.

2) Microwaves: 26.

3) Grills and toasters: 22.

4) Separate rings and hot plates: 15.

The Fire Brigades Union warned that both manufacturers and householders have a duty to prevent fires caused by everyday appliances.

A spokesman for the union said: “Manufacturers have a duty to ensure the products they sell are safe for the public to use and do not pose a threat to life.

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“Make sure that the electrical wiring in our homes is in good order, and ensure that we have working smoke alarms and we have a plan for what to do if they go off.”

“We can all play our part in reducing fire risk by registering products with the manufacturers when we buy them, so that we are notified if there is a safety-related recall.”

Between April 2017 and March 2018, 48 fires started by domestic appliances caused deaths or injuries.

More than 22 fires were started by faulty appliances or leads in West Sussex over the financial year. Across England, such faults started more than 2,400 fires.

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The most common reason for fires started by appliances was misuse of the equipment, which caused 160 fires in West Sussex, and more than 8,700 nationally.

But the old staple of fire safety talks, chip pans, were still the cause of 34 fires in West Sussex, and nearly 1,600 fires nationally.

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