Restaurant fire - Kilburn

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire at a restaurant with dwellings above on Kilburn High Road.

There were no reports of any injuries.

A small electrical fire occurred in an overheated fan due to dirty ducting.

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."

Control Officers took the first of seven calls at 2000 and mobilised crews from West Hampstead, Willesden and Paddington fire stations to the scene. The incident was over for firefighters at 2126.

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.