Firefighters have issued a cooking safety reminder after they attended a fire on Hibbert Road in Walthamstow.
There had been a small fire in the kitchen of a ground floor flat. The fire was out when firefighters arrived but they assisted a woman, a child and a baby from a rear bedroom. They were all treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service crews.
The fire is believed to have been caused by hot oil igniting in an unattended chip pan.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Chip pans and cooking with hot oil can be really dangerous and the risk increases when you start frying food more than once.
“All it can take is for you to become distracted for a few seconds and your cooking oil can quickly go up in flames.
"Cooking should never be left unattended on the hob or grill - if you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat."
The Brigade was called at 1628 and the incident was over for firefighters by 1655. Two fire engines and around 10 firefighters from Walthamstow and Homerton fire stations attended.
Firefighters’ tips for safer cooking
• Take extra care when cooking with hot oil as it can easily overheat and catch fire
• Never fill the pan more than one third full of fat or oil
• Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil - oil and water are a dangerous mix
• Use an electronic deep fat fryer if possible - they have automatic temperature controls and are much safer