STUDENTS narrowly avoided a serious fire in Crewe after a chip pan caused smoke damage to a kitchen in their digs.

Firefighters were called to Booths Halls of Residence, on Beswick Drive, on Friday November 28 at around 6.30pm.

A chip pan containing oil had become overheated and was causing thick black smoke to fill the room.

A student who lived in the halls tried to cool the oil by putting it in the sink.

Paul Binyon, Crewe station manager, said: “Chip pans are extremely dangerous if not watched and can quickly overheat. On this occasion the pan was put into the sink and water was used to try and cool it but this is possibly the worst thing you can do.

“Hot oil and water do not mix and should never be put together. The student is very lucky that a fire did not occur but more importantly that no injuries were caused when the extremely hot oil met with the water.”

Chip pan fires cause one fifth of all accidental house fires attended in the UK each year. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging anyone who has a chip pan to throw it away and replace it with a deep-fat fryer, which controls the temperature of the oil.

For more safety advice, visit cheshirefire.gov.uk.