Kitchen Fire Safety

Kitchen Fire Safety

Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. It’s important to be alert to prevent cooking fires. 

CHILDREN IN THE KITCHEN:
  • Children should never be left unattended in the kitchen, especially when there is food cooking!
  • Never hold a child while you are cooking, drinking a hot liquid, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
  • Keep children at a safe distance from appliances and hot items
  • Teach your kids the dangers of getting too close to the oven or stove and establish a "safe area"
  • Remove tablecloths when toddlers are present; they may tug and pull at anything within their reach, easily causing hot items to fall on top of them
  • Avoid giving children pots and pans to play with because they might reach for these "toys" when they contain hot foods or liquids
OVENS AND STOVETOPS:
  • Make sure your oven is tested and approved by a recognized testing facility
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Keep the stovetop free of grease, clutter and long, flowing curtains
  • Wear short, close fitting sleeves when using the oven or stovetop
  • If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed
  • If there is a fire in a pan on the stove, put on an oven mitt and place a lid over the pot or pan until it is completely cooled
  • Never put water on a grease fire
  • Keep pot/pan handles turned inward and out of the way of children and pets
OTHER APPLIANCES:
  • If you have a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the machine.  Call the Fire Department!
  • Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot, even if its container isn't
COOKTOP FIRE SUPPRESSORS:
A great product to consider purchasing for your home is a StoveTop FireStop.  The could be the first line of defense against small residential stovetop fires.  Unlike traditional fire extinguishers, StoveTop FireStop works automatically, and addresses the leading cause of home fires—unattended cooking.