Restaurant fire - City of London

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters responded to a fire at a restaurant with offices above on Old Jewry in City of London.

A small fire in the restaurant's ducting was extinguished before the arrival of the Brigade. One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used as a water tower at the scene.

The fire is believed to be accidental and a result of cooking processes.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "We'd like to remind restaurant and takeaway owners to ensure they don't have dirty ducting. If you don't clean the ducting in your extraction system regularly, you're at a greater risk of ducting fires.

"You should also make sure you keep the hob, cooker hood and extractor fan clean too – built up fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire."

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took over 10 calls to the fire. The Brigade was first called at 1547 and the fire was under control by 1733. Crews from Shoreditch, Dockhead, Shadwell and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

Firefighters' top tips for restaurants and takeaways: 

• Have ducting in your extraction system (ventilation) cleaned regularly 
• Ensure ducting is installed correctly 
• 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 
• Ensure your electrical system is regularly tested 
• Complete your Fire Risk Assessment and make an emergency plan.