Reader TTS

A warning has been issued over the dangers of using chip pans after two people escaped a fire at a high rise block of flats. The fire service is urging people to opt for "safer

alternative methods of cooking". The fire broke out in the kitchen of an eleventh floor flat at Prior Court, Billingham at just after 6pm on Tuesday (May 20). Cleveland Fire Service

said it was due to an unattended chip pan. Four fire engines from Stockton, Thornaby and Middlesbrough attended the incident. Two residents had already escaped from the premises, owned by

housing association Thirteen. The building’s sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of fire crews, preventing it from spreading. The flat sustained

some water damage but the fire service said the sprinkler system meant the overall impact of smoke damage and risk of the spread of fire was dramatically reduced. Matty Stather, fire safety

station manager at Cleveland Fire Brigade said “This incident again demonstrates the dangers associated with the use of chip pans. Cleveland Fire Brigade urge members of the public to switch

to safer alternative methods of cooking. "We applaud Thirteen Group’s approach to ensuring the safety of its residents through the installation of sprinkler systems. Without the

sprinkler system, this incident could have been catastrophic.” “Sprinkler systems are a highly effective, reliable and a cost-effective fire safety measure that can save lives, reduce

injuries, protect our firefighters who attend incidents, provide peace of mind for residents, and reduce property damage. "Cleveland Fire Brigade is committed to reducing risk to its

communities and the installation of sprinklers in residential properties, businesses, schools, and care homes will help achieve this.” Thirteen’s head of health and safety Peter Taylor said:

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our priority. We’re thankful that no one was injured during the incident, and we remain committed to supporting our customers affected. “Over

recent years, we’ve made a significant investment to ensure we have the highest possible safety standards in place. We’ve invested more than £2million on installing advanced safety measures,

like the sprinkler systems at Prior Court, which activate automatically in the event of a fire. "These enhancements help to ensure that our residents feel safe and have peace of mind

at all times.” Anyone who has concerns about the safety of their property or wants to know more about sprinkler systems can contact the fire service's fire engineering department by

emailing [email protected] JOIN TEESSIDE LIVE'S WHATSAPP COMMUNITY FOR TOP STORIES AND BREAKING NEWS SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR PHONE Teesside Live is now on

WhatsApp and we want you to join our community. Through the app, we'll send you the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone. To join our

community group, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is CLICK THIS LINK AND SELECT 'JOIN COMMUNITY'. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can

send messages except the Teesside Live team. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can

check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. CLICK

HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY. FOR THE LATEST LOCAL NEWS IN YOUR AREA DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX EVERY DAY, GO HERE TO SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER