Kitchen fires can be eliminated with planning
In 1999, the latest year for which statistics are available, there were 96,200 home structure fires attributed to cooking equipment, including 1,800 fires confined to a cooking vessel. These fires resulted in 331 civilian deaths, 4,183 civilian injuries, and $511.3 million in direct property damage. Three out of four home cooking fires involve the range. And two thirds of the time, according to one study, the fires start within the first 15 minutes of cooking. Something most people do each day has the potential for being life-threatening if safety isn’t maintained.
This time of year the potential for cooking-related fires increases. Many people retire from outdoor grill use for the year and spend more time around the kitchen stove. Additionally, with the holidays just around the corner, there is greater emphasis placed on creating home-cooked meals.
The NFPA also states that the incidences of cooking fires are not declining at the rate of other home fires. Therefore, an added safety push is necessary.
“Cooking fires remain one of the toughest problems we face,” says John R. Hall Jr., Ph.D., of NFPA’s Fire Analysis and Research Division. “We have made less headway in preventing cooking fires than in preventing other kinds of home fires.”
Forgetfulness and inattention are stated as the top reasons behind kitchen flare-ups. In most instances, fires start when the person doing the cooking is in another room. Upon discovering the fire, many people are injured attempting to fight the fire themselves – usually in an improper manner. Oftentimes, the first inclination is to stop the fire with an extinguisher or water. This can actually spread or splatter cooking materials, further aggravating the fire. Typically, smothering it with a pan lid or closing the oven is the safest thing to do, apart from calling in the fire department.
To help keep the home safe while cooking, the NFPA offers these important tips:
? Don’t leave cooking food unattended.
? Roll up sleeves while cooking and don’t wear loose clothing.
? Keep children and pets away from cooking areas. Maintain a three-foot “safe zone” around the stove.
? Keep pot handles turned in to avoid spills. Try to cook foods on the back stovetop burners when possible.
? Keep potholders, dishtowels, food packaging and other clutter off the stovetop. Don’t place anything atop a toaster oven where it can ignite when the unit is in use.
? Clean cooking equipment; built-up grease can catch fire.
An added safety pointer is to keep smoke alarms in and around the kitchen plugged in or stocked with batteries. Too often homeowners disconnect these units due to false alarms triggered by smoky foods. However, smoke alarms can save a life.
For more fire-safety information, log on to www.nfpa.org.