Firefighters have issued an urgent warning after an air fryer caused a devastating blaze at a family home in the UK.
Local newspaper The Shropshire Star reports that a home in the village of Hodnet, near Market Drayton in Shropshire, had its kitchen gutted recently after an unattended air fryer started a huge fire.
Air fryers have soared in popularity in recent years as they’re able to cook foods to crisp perfection while using a fraction of the amount of oil as, say, a deep fat fryer or chip pan.
Chip pans are considered particularly dangerous because they use large amounts of hot oil to cook food – and that oil can become superheated and catch fire.
However, that isn’t to say that air fryers don’t also come with a risk of fire, as this potentially deadly incident has proved.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service says that an air fryer was responsible for the fire in Hodnet, but thankfully working smoke alarms alerted the residents to the danger and it was brought under control before the whole house was affected.
A social media post from the service aimed at raising awareness of the risks of leaving air fryers unattended said: “Hodnet firefighters attended a property fire, luckily it was contained to the room of origin and most of the damage remained in the kitchen.
“We believe the fire was caused by an air fryer, there were working smoke alarms which alerted the occupier.”
Shropshire Fire and Rescue added: “Please remember: never leave cooking unattended. Make sure all cooking appliances are kept clean and tidy. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions and safety guidance.”
The service also issued a vital tip about the one product never to use in your air fryer, writing: “Do not use greaseproof paper in an air fryer, when it touches the element, it can ignite.”
In August, a mum called Chloe took to TikTok to issue a warning after her air fryer almost ignited – the danger only coming to light after her partner mentioned a strange odour.
The near-mishap was caused by air fryer liners, which are meant to make cleaning easier. Unfortunately, Chloe hadn’t spread out the food ‘evenly’ on the liner, causing one side to lift from the circulating air and come into contact with the air fryer’s lid, leading to burning.
As well as paper, other things that you shouldn’t put in an air fryer include cardboard, and non-heat resistant plastic.
Popcorn is also a no-no, as the kernels can blow around and get stuck in the heating element. Following these important precautions means you can continue to enjoy your air fryer without any worry or risk of fire.
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