Tips to Avoid a Kitchen Fire
9/5/2017 (Permalink)
Did you know the kitchen is where more home fires occur than anywhere else in the house and that cooking is the number one cause of home fires?
- Never leave cooking food unattended – stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a second, turn off the stove.
- Check your food regularly while cooking and remain in the home while cooking.
- Use a timer so you’ll remember that the stove or oven is on.
- Don’t wear loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
- Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a “kid-free zone” and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.
- Keep anything that can catch fire - pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
- Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
- Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.]
- Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.