According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), an average of 172,900 house fires per year are caused by cooking – causing an average of 550 deaths and 4,820 injuries annually. More than half of these home fire related injuries involving cooking equipment were a result of people attempting to fight the fire themselves.
Follow these kitchen fire safety tips to help keep you and your family safe:
• Never leave the range or cooktop unattended while cooking, and make sure burners are always off when leaving the kitchen, even for a short time. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and related deaths in the U.S.
• Be sure to keep your oven and cooktop clean to avoid old food drippings or remains from burning or starting a fire.
• Watch hot oil closely and have the lid for the pan nearby so that in the event of a fire, use the lid to cover the pan to extinguish the fire. Never put water on hot oil.
• Keep a ‘kid-free zone’ around the stove or oven while in use, and avoid allowing small children and pets in the kitchen while cooking.
• Avoid wearing loose or hanging clothes that could catch on fire.
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and charged, and know how to use it.
• Keep cooking area free of combustibles such as paper, oven mitts, towels, or other items that could catch fire.
• Keep smoke alarms in working order.
• Don’t store items in the oven; you may forget about them and turn the oven on, causing a fire.
• The kitchen floor should be kept clear of tripping hazards while cooking.
• If an oven fire does start, keep the door closed and turn off the heat source; the same goes for a microwave.
• Always use a timer to avoid forgetting about cooking food.