Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen

10/6/2020 (Permalink)

Fire Prevention Week 2020

Did you know that cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and fire injuries? 

Fire Prevention week is October 4-10. This year's campaign is "Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen". The purpose of the campaign is to educate people about simple steps they can take to keep everyone in the home safe. 

Below is a cooking safety checklist you can use to make sure you and your loved ones are taking as many precautions as possible to prevent accidents:

• Does a grown-up always pay attention to things that are cooking?

• Does a grown-up watch the stovetop when he or she is frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food?

• If a grown-up must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, does he or she turns off the burner?

• Are things that can burn, such as dish towels, curtains, or paper, away from the stovetop?

• Are the stovetop, burners, and oven clean — no spilled food, grease, paper or bags?

• Are pot handles turned toward the back of the stove when a grown-up is cooking?

• Do children and pets stay out of the kid-free zone (3 feet or 1 meter from the stove) when a grown-up is cooking?

• Are containers opened slowly when removing from the microwave? Hot steam can escape from containers and cause burns.

• Does your family have working smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside all sleeping areas, and in each bedroom?

• Does your family have a home fire escape plan?

• Do you practice the plan?

To learn more about what you can do to prevent home fires and fire injuries visit firepreventionweek.org.