TikTok air fryer 'hack' blamed for fire

Chris McHugh
BBC News, South
BBC Potatoes are seen in an air fryer from the top down. The potatoes are yellow and have a yellow crust over the top of them.BBC
Crews said the fire was caused by someone attempting to clean their air fryer with a hack seen on TikTok

Firefighters have been called to a blaze caused by an air fryer after its owner set it alight trying a cleaning hack they saw on TikTok.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said "multiple appliances" were sent to a property in Bournemouth after fire alarms had been set off.

It added that the air fryer's drawers had been filled with soap and water and the appliance switched onto steam clean.

It said the fire had already been extinguished by the building's sprinkler system when they arrived.

The service warned air fryers should always been cleaned as per the manufacturer's instructions.

In 2022, firefighters in Derby warned people not to follow a TikTok trend for building makeshift heaters from tealights and pots following a flat fire.

About 50 people had to be evacuated from their homes when the blaze broke out at Prosperity House in the city.

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