FIREFIGHTERS battled a chip pan fire at a house in Wisbech yesterday.

Two crews from Wisbech were called to the incident, which happened at about 5.40pm at a property in Walton Road.

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and used one hose reel to extinguish the blaze. They also carried out a home fire safety check and installed a new smoke alarm for the resident.

Crews returned to their stations by 6.40pm.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

A fire service spokesman said: “Chip pans can be extremely dangerous and are the cause of the largest number of fire-related injuries in the home.

“Oil itself is a volatile substance when heated, and it only takes seconds for an accident to occur, no matter how careful and vigilant you are.

“If a chip pan fire occurs, the fire service advises residents not to panic, never throw water on the fire, do not move the pan and turn the heat off if it is safe to do so before dialling 999.”