HOME Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw has backed a fire prevention campaign - while revealing that he had once had to tackle a chip pan blaze himself.

Mr Straw was in Blackburn to support Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's Fire Experience exhibition, which aims to bring home to people the devastating consequences of a house fire and what can be done to prevent blazes.

He said he was shocked by the exhibition - which includes a reconstruction of the aftermath of a house fire - and revealed that he had experienced a chip pan fire himself. He said: "Some years ago, when the children were small, I was cooking chips and I got distracted by the children, and suddenly there was a fire.

"Fortunately we had a fire blanket and I remembered the advice about not throwing water on to the fire.

"But it was a very serious shock to me. I shudder to think what could have happened. It can happen to anybody but if you take simple precautions it can be prevented."

Mr Straw watched a dramatic reconstruction of a rescue from a "burning" building - a shop unit in Lord Square, Blackburn, where Fire Experience is being staged - before visiting the exhibition.

He said: "This is really bringing home to people that fire is very, very dangerous but there are very, very straightforward precautions people can take, like having smoke alarms with batteries in them and checking the batteries regularly."

Lancashire's Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland, said: "Clearly it's much better to prevent a fire and we know that the vast majority of house fires are in fact preventable. Often all it requires is a little thought and preparation to avoid becoming another fire statistic.

"Attention to such topics as chip pan fire safety, correct disposal of smoking materials and regular checks of electrical wiring and appliances can pay dividends in keeping yourself and your family safe.

"Even if a fire does occur, fitting smoke detectors and keeping their batteries fresh can make all the difference, as can planning escape routes beforehand."

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