Smoke alarm alerts flat members to kitchen fire

The cooking fire caused only minor damage to a flat on Harrow St, Dunedin, but had highlighted the value of smoke alarms, Fire Service Senior Station Officer Robert Torrance said.

A tertiary student who had been heating a pan of vegetable oil on a stove hoping to cook a meal had been briefly distracted elsewhere and the pan full of oil ignited, Fire Service officials said.

Mr Torrance, of the Dunedin central fire station, said the Fire Service continued to promote the safety message of "Look while you cook," advising people never to leave cooking unattended.

A smoke alarm had quickly alerted the flat's occupants, who had evacuated the dwelling.

The Fire Service was called at 4.25pm, the response ensuring only minor damage and no injuries occurred, Mr Torrance said.