It all boils down to keep looking while cooking

The message comes after emergency services were called to a unit fire on Dandaloo street at about 1.04pm on Friday afternoon.

While there was no major structural damage, the fire is believed to have started from an oven.

"It all boils down to he didn't keep looking," Narromine FRNSW commander captain Ewen Jones said.

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According to FRNSW they attend almost 4500 residential fires each year, and almost half of these fires start in the kitchen, with the majority of those caused by unattended cooking.

"The message is pretty clear," Captain Jones said.

"You've got to be near it simple as that. Even when you're boiling veggies they can burn dry and certainly catch fire, you shouldn't walk away you've got to keep checking.

"It's alright to go to the fridge to get something you need to add, but don't wander off watching the TV or it could boil dry and can cause a fire."

Captain Jones said one of the ways to help prevent kitchen fires was by setting timers to remind you what's cooking.

"Everyone has a smart phone these days, people just have to put a reminder on their phone or most ovens have a timer of some type on them, people should do if they're doing a long-term cook," he said.

"But things being cooked on top of the oven, on the hotplates, you should be there all the time."

If a fire does start in the kitchen, the station commander said it's important for people to turn off their power immediately.

"Residents can do that themselves if they've got an oven fire, if it's gas go outside and turn the gas main off, if it's electricity go to the power board and turn everything off," Captain Jones said.

"Make sure people then call triple zero (000) and we will come and do the rest."

FRNSW also recommends people don't put anything metallic in the microwave, don't cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs, turn pot handles inwards to avoid being knocked and keep ovens and rangehoods clean. If your pan catches fire don't throw water on it, get out and call triple zero (000).