Preventing Kitchen Fires
The Main Causes of Kitchen Fires and How to Prevent Them
Safeguarding your home and family from kitchen fires is something not many people think about during the day. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fires caused 2,620 home fire deaths and 11,030 fire injuries in the U.S between 2014 and 2018. Cooking was the leading cause of home fires and injuries.
Many kitchen fires occur due to home cooking practices and unattended cooking. Other causes include:
- Flammable items near the stovetop
- Igniting grease or oil
- Burning food in a high-temperature oven
- Unattended children in the kitchen
How to Prevent Kitchen Fires: Eight Tips
The fire restoration professionals from Integrity Restoration & Remodeling recommend these eight tips for fire prevention in the kitchen.
1. Use a timer when cooking: It reminds you to check the progress of your food, especially if your stove does not have an automatic off function.
2. Always monitor cooking food: Research shows that unattended cooking equipment is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Never leave your stove unattended, but if you must, turn off the heat source and remove the cooking pan from the heat.
3. Keep stovetop surfaces clear: The top of the stove or oven should not have items on it that can catch fire, including food preparation, paper towels, and dish towels.
4. Don’t throw water on a grease fire: If you experience grease fires, water makes the blaze bigger. Instead, use a fire blanket or lid to fight the fire and put it out.
5. Wear appropriate clothing in the kitchen: Roll up your sleeves whenever you’re cooking and avoid loose clothes that easily brush up against stovetop burners or oven grills and might catch fire.
6. Don’t cook while intoxicated: Cooking is not a good idea after a big night out, especially while under the influence. Your judgment might be too impaired to practice safe cooking, and a fire is more likely.
7. Never leave children unattended in the cooking area. Children are a leading cause of home fires and always need supervision in the kitchen.
8. Install working smoke alarms, a fire blanket, and a fire extinguisher. Detectors and extinguishers are relatively inexpensive to install but save lives in the event of a fire. Install a Class B Fire Extinguisher and a fire blanket in the kitchen, and change the batteries in your smoke alarms twice yearly.
What If There’s a Fire?
If your kitchen catches fire, turn off the heat source. Throw a kitchen blanket over the fire or use the appropriate fire extinguisher as you or your family members call 911 for rapid fire assistance.
After the blaze, call Integrity Restoration & Remodeling Contractors LLC for quality fire restoration and odor removal services in Marietta and nearby metro area. You can contact us online or call us at (770) 966-9987. Let our experienced professionals restore your property to its original condition so that life can move on.