Cooking fire prevention

10/12/2020 (Permalink)

This past week was the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week. Their campaign “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen” focused on three main goals to reduce kitchen fires.

• Never leave cooking unattended
• Do not leave flammable items near the stovetop.
• If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, do not use the stovetop.

In this time of COVID 19 and social distancing more meals are being prepared at home.  Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and 49% of all home fires start in the kitchen.  Oven mitts, wooden utensils and towels and curtains top the list of items that can cause fires if left near the flame. Always have a fire extinguisher nearby in case you have a stove fire. Be very careful with loose clothing. Clothing fires cause 14% of all home fire deaths.

Other hints include always cook with a lid ready to slide over the pan if flames erupt. Resist the urge to check under the lid…let the pan cool completely as the fire could re-ignite. Never throw water on the fire. Baking and soda and salt work to smother fires but never use flour as it can explode.  Heat oil slowly when frying and sautéing. Be especially vigilant around the holidays. The top 3 days for kitchen fires are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Make sure everybody in your home knows the quickest way out of the home and practice your fire escape route.

If you do have a kitchen fire, remember the experts at SERVPRO of Manistee, Ludington, and Cadillac can help make it "Like it never even happened." Give us a call at 887-350-4872 24/7.