Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.
Cooking Facts
The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
Most cooking fires in the home involve the kitchen stove.
Cook with Caution
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, 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, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
- Keep a lid or cookie sheet nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turning 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.
- Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...
- On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- If you catch the fire when it is small, smother it with the lid or a cookie sheet and turn off the heat. Leave the pan covered until it has cooled. If the fire has grown beyond the pan, and you have been trained, use an ABC rated fire extinguisher. Be sure to stand 6-8 feet back from the fire to avoid spreading flames.
- For any fires that do not go out quickly, evacuate the area and call 911 immediately. Report all fires to the fire department.
If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire...
Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.