Safety warning after unattended pan ignited Chinatown restaurant blaze

Safety warnings have been issued after a fire at a Chinatown restaurant was found to have been caused by an unattended pan.

Two people were evacuated from the Gerrard Street restaurant on Sunday 22 September, with about 80 firefighters called to battle the blaze shortly after 8.30am.

London Fire Brigade investigators believe an unattended wok ignited oil deposits within the restaurant's ducting system which spread the fire to the floor and roof above.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Whenever you are cooking, it's really important to keep an eye on it all times and never leave it unattended.

"You should also make sure you keep the hob, cooker hood and extractor fan clean too – built up fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire.

"We'd also like to remind restaurant and takeaway owners to ensure they don't have dirty ducting. If you don't clean the ducting in your extraction system regularly, you're at a greater risk of ducting fires."

The third floor of the four-storey building was destroyed in the fire and part of the second storey damaged. Two people had left the property when emergency services arrived with two more led to safety by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.