Some of us will remember past alarming fire safety campaigns created to reduce the risk of ignition from chip pans left unattended. Dramatic images showed just how quickly such pan fires could become a blazing inferno engulfing an entire kitchen.
Fortunately, the kitchen environment has become a much safer place in recent years as new technologies and appliances have helped reduce such culinary risk factors. In fact, according to the latest UK Home Office figures, cooking equipment as the source of ignition for accidental dwelling fires is down 35% since 2011.
However, despite positive developments, kitchen appliances remain the primary source of accidental house fires, accounting for 44% of all dwelling ignitions in the UK. There are several causes; ranging from the build-up of grease on cooking appliances and oil being overheated, through to faulty equipment and food items on the hob or in ovens being left unattended.
Appliance-related claims
Recently, Crawford’s adjusters have dealt with numerous claims resulting from cooker hob rings being left on, which have ignited items including air fryers, chip-pan oil, plastic containers and other combustible items. Such events have resulted in sizeable losses ranging from tens of thousands to millions of pounds.
Another concerning trend is the growing number of fire incidents in which air fryers are a potential source of ignition.
Aviva has reported a rise in home insurance claims related to air fryer fires, with the average claim in 2024 reaching £29,555, and some reaching as high as £80,000, prompting safety warnings.
Data released by the Home Office based on the Incident Recording System used by the fire and rescue services has noted a marked increase in the number of dwelling fires in which air fryers were referenced in the additional information provided.
The system noted a 57% rise in ‘air fryer’ in information provided on fire incidents, from 93 in 2023 to 146 in 2024. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to select these appliances as ignition sources in the system so we cannot be certain that in all cases they are the cause.
However, there have been multiple recalls of air fryers over the last 18 months due to several factors, including the risk of overheating due to faults and wire connections creating a potential burn or fire hazard. Also, failure to effectively clean appliances can mean that loose food particles, or excess grease or oil in the bucket, can pose a fire risk.
