Top 8 Tips for Avoiding Kitchen Fires This Holiday Season

11/30/2017 (Permalink)

While you are busy whipping up delicious dishes in the kitchen this holiday season, it is also important to take time to remember safety.

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home-fire-related injuries in the United States. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports “Cooking equipment was involved in almost half (48%) of all reported home fires...and tied with heating equipment for the second leading cause of home fire deaths.” You can help ensure your holiday plans don’t go up in smoke by taking a few precautions!

• n Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• n Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food.
• n If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• n Keep anything that can catch fire—oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains—away from the stovetop.

If you have a cooking fire, consider the following safety protocols to help keep you and your family safe.

• n Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• n Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
• n For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• n If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
• n Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

Source: National Fire Protection Association

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