Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. With the upcoming holidays, it’s important to be alert and prevent cooking fires.
What you should know:
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of 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 are cooking.
- Be attentive! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the oven or stovetop.
- Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you have a cooking fire:
- Get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 9-1-1 after you leave.
- If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
- 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.
- For an oven fire turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Find these and many more fire safety tips and resources on NFPA’s winter holiday Web pages at: www.nfpa.org/winterholidaysafety.
http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Put-A-Freeze-on-Winter-Fires
http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Top-causes-of-fire/Candles
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