Keep Your Family Safe From Kitchen Fires
The kitchen is often a place that our families gather and share a meal. Did you know that cooking equipment, most often a range or stovetop, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States.
Cooking equipment is also the leading cause of unreported fires and associated injuries.
We must join together to help reduce the number of home fires, and the resulting deaths, injuries and loss of property. We rely on the fire service to fight fires once they occur; however, the prevention of fires is up to all of us – Fire is Everyone’s Fight.
Follow some simple safety tips to protect your family and your home.
Top Kitchen Safety Tips
Preventing cooking fires
- Never leave hot food or appliances unattended while cooking.
- Always be alert when you are cooking and not under the influence of medication or alcohol.
- Keep anything that can catch on fire at least 3 feet from the stove, toaster oven, or other heat source.
- Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
- Do not wear loose fitting clothes that can catch fire if you stand too close to a burner.
- If you are frying, grilling or broiling food stay in the kitchen. If you are baking or simmering check food frequently.
Preventing burns and scalds
- To prevent hot food or liquid spills, use the stove’s back burner and/or turn pot handles away from the stove's edge.
- All appliance cords should be kept coiled and away from counter edges.
- Use oven mitts or potholders when moving hot food.
- Open containers that have been in the microwave slowly and away from the face.
- Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated.
Keeping Kids Safe
- Create a 3 foot Kid Free Zone around the stove.
- Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
- Young children should be more than 3 feet from any place where there is hot food, drinks, pans, or trays.
- Hot items should be kept from the edge of counters and tables.
- Do not use a tablecloth or placemat if very young children are in the home.
- When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely and always with help from an adult.
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