Prevent Kitchen Fires

More home fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else. In 2011, cooking was involved in an estimated 156,300 home fires that caused:

• 470 deaths
• 5,390 injuries
• $1 billion in property damage

These Numbers could be greatly reduced if people paid more attention when they cooked and practiced simple fire safety behaviors.

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Unattended Cooking

is the leading cause of kitchen fires

• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling of broiling food
• Check food regularly – use a timer to remind you the stove/oven is On
• If you must leave – turn the oven Off

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Stay Alert

to avoid stirring up trouble

• Don’t use the oven or stovetop if you are sleepy, have consumed alcohol or are using drugs

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Hot Tips

• Keep pot handles turned in
• When you microwave food, open the container slowly to let steam escape and let food cool before eating
• Cool a burn under water for 3 to 5 minutes and cover it with a clean dry cloth
• If the burn is bigger than your fist, seek immediate medical assistance

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Flammable Objects

keep away from the stove

• Keep anything that can burn a safe distance away from the stove
• Clean up food and grease from burners and the stovetop
• Wear short, tight-fighting, or lightly-rolled sleeves. If clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll over and over or back and forth to put the fire out. Get medical help

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Be Ready

to react fast to a cooking fire

• When in doubt – just get out!
• If you try to fight fire with a fire extinguisher, be sure:
  1. Other people are leaving the home
  2. Someone is calling the fire department
  3. You have a clear exit path
• If a small fire starts:
  1. Slide a lid over the pan
  2. Turn Off the burner
  3. Leave a the pan covered until it is completely cool
• For an over or microwave fire, turn off the head and keep the door closed