Cooking Fire Safety Tips
The holidays are here and there’s no better place to spend it with family than in the kitchen. We know so many families that get their holiday quality time cooking and baking together in the kitchen, including us! Making memories that last forever with family and friends is one of the best parts of the holiday season. Let’s do our best to keep those memories good ones and avoid any cooking fires. Unfortunately, autumn is when cooking fire claims tend to rise and they are already, “the number one cause of home fires and fire-related injuries in the home,” according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Here are some safety guidelines to follow when cooking to prevent fires.
Never leave burners on and unattended
Turn the handles to the back of the oven to prevent anyone from bumping into them and knocking them off the stove
Never put combustible materials near the stove. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stove and wear clothing that is tight and/or short to avoid it getting caught in the flame
Clean up splattered grease and NEVER EVER throw grease in the trash can. It can catch the trash on fire
Keep a 3-foot safety zone where children cannot come into
Never use an extension chord for kitchen appliances. They must be directly plugged into the wall
Do not store food in the oven. Someone may not know that it is there and can turn it on, starting an oven fire.
Keep a fire extinguisher nearby
Keep a pan lid nearby if you’re cooking at higher temperatures
We’re sure you already follow most of these and they’re common sense mostly. That being said, a fire can accidentally happen even if you have followed all of these guidelines. Here are some things to do immediately if a fire does start in the kitchen.
If a fire starts in your oven or microwave, turn it off immediately! Do not open until the fire has burned out
Never throw water on a grease fire. It can cause the grease to splash. It can lead to spreading the fire or burning someone terribly. Fire needs oxygen so smother a pan fire by covering it with a lid to put it out
If the fire is out of hand and you try to extinguish it, call 911 first. You may fail and if they’re already on their way, you can potentially save your home
If none of the above worked and the fire has gone completely out of control, which can happen more quickly than most people think, it’s time to flea the home
Home cooking brings back so many great memories for us with our Italian family during the holidays. We hope the same for you and yours! Happy cooking :)