A woman was taken to Withybush Hospital with burns to her arms and face on Sunday, after trying to tackle a chip pan fire in High Street Haverfordwest.

The fire ignited at around 3.00pm. The chip pan had been left unattended and smoke alarms at the property raised the alarm. The woman then tried to extinguish the fire using water and was injured in the ensuing fireball.

Haverfordwest firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the premises and deal with the aftermath of the fire.

“Where chip pan fires do occur, our advice is to leave the property immediately, close doors behind you and call the fire service out to safely deal with the incident,” said Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crew manager, John Roberts

“Applying even a cupful of water to a chip pan fire has a catastrophic effect which generates a large fireball, this action should be avoided at all costs.” 

“We would urge members of the public to replace chip pans with safer thermostatically controlled fryers.”

To book a free home fire safety check contact Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 169 1234.