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Recipe For Disaster follows a number of tragedies where people have attempted to cook when back at home after consuming alcohol.

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At least two of those deaths are known to have occurred after watching sporting events, so crews have teamed up with Wigan Warriors to help get the message across to fans.

Wigan Warriors' Sean O'Loughlin and Wigan fire station commander Chris Evans, front, with firefighters Paul Farnhead, Gerry Davis, John Klieve, David Parsons, Clint Riley and Craig Pender

Firefighters across Greater Manchester were called to 752 accidental cooking fires in the home in 2021 – nearly half of all accidental dwelling fires last year.

Among those who tragically died was Steven Knight, 49, who was found at his home on Victoria Road, Platt Bridge. He went to the pub on November 20 and started cooking when he got home, but a fire broke out and his body was found the next day.

Crews from Wigan, Hindley, Atherton and Leigh will be going to pubs and venues across the borough to give out free beer mats for landlords to distribute to help raise awareness.

Each beermat and poster showcases a QR code for safety tips and urges people to eat out or have a takeaway if they have been drinking.

Chris Evans, station commander at Wigan Community Fire Station, at the launch of Recipe for Disaster

Wigan fire station commander Chris Evans said: "People had come home from watching the football or the rugby and had a good a drink while they were out.

"They’ve tried to cook something, with people on two occasions using chip pans, then they’ve fallen asleep and never woke up.

"Five families have been touched by tragedy that we are trying to prevent from happening to anyone else.”

Wigan Warriors will display the Recipe for Disaster poster on the big screen at every home game for the rest of the season.

Steven Knight died after a fire in his home

Assistant manager Sean O’Loughlin said: “I am honoured to be a part of this fantastic campaign and to help support it alongside the club.

"When you hear the figures on the number of deaths in the area from cases that can be preventable, it really does strike home.

"If there is anything we can do as a club to help raise awareness of cooking at home after drinking, it’s something that can be easily fixed.

"Hopefully it saves lots of lives.”

Wigan firefighters urge drinkers not to cook when they go home after five tragic deaths