Fires and Kitchen Safety...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2008

When the causes of residential fires are identified, cooking-related fires are found to be a significant problem. They result in hundreds of thousands of annual home fires causing death, injury and millions of dollars in direct property damage.

How to help prevent a cooking fire in the kitchen:

• Keep an eye on your cooking and stay in the kitchen.
• Wear short or close-fitting sleeves. Many injuries are caused when long full sleeves on a blouse or robe catch fire from open flames and even electrical units on a cooktop.
• Watch children closely. As children learn to cook. Teach them safety first.
• Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
• Keep curtains, towels and potholders clear of flames and hot surfaces.
• Store gasoline, solvents and cleaners away from heat sources.
• Turn pan handles inward to prevent food spills.
• But what if the worst happens, and a fire starts in the kitchen?

What if….. a fire breaks out…. WHAT DO YOU DO?

• Smother grease or oil fires by sliding a pan lid over flames to suffocate the flames and turn off the heat. NEVER carry the pan outside. Flames can fan back and catch clothing or hair on fire.
• Extinguish other food fires with baking soda. NEVER use water on cooking fires. Water can actually spread cooking fires.
• Keep the oven door shut and turn off the heat to smother an oven or broiler fire.
• Have an appropriate fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it.
• Always have a working smoke detector near the kitchen. Call the fire department if a cooking fire does not go out immediately.