This year’s focus is on cooking safety and preventing kitchen fires at home. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.
Safety tips to keep you from having a cooking fire:
• Keep cooking areas clear. Clear away clutter and give cooking appiciances space to lessen the chance of a kitchen fire. • Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
• Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Never discharge a portable fire extinguisher into a grease fire because it will spread the fire.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Prevent scalds & burns. Turn pot handles away from the stove’s edge. Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire prevention,
visit www.fpw.org.
