A fire involving an air fryer on Valentine's Day is believed to have been caused by a young child accidentally turning on a kitchen hob.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has said that firefighters were called to an incident in Richmond Road, Chichester, to extinguish the kitchen fire.

The room was "heavily smoke logged" when crews arrived at the scene.

After an investigation, the fire service believe that a young child accidentally turned on the kitchen hob, which had an air fryer on top, which then started the blaze.

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There were no reported injuries and the family escaped unharmed after the fire on February 14.

Alastair Letchford, Chichester fire station manager, said: "Fortunately, this fire started in daylight hours when everyone was awake.

"However, had this started while everyone was asleep – the outcome could have been very different.

"This is why it is so important to fit working smoke alarms on each floor of your home; smoke alarms will alert you to a fire at the earliest opportunity and give you time to safely escape.

"More than 50 percent of accidental fires in the home are started by cooking, and there are a huge number of fire risks in that one room alone.

"Please be aware of all the potential dangers in your kitchen and stay alert when cooking.

“Above all, the most important piece of advice we can give is to get out, stay out, and call 999 if there is a fire in your home.”