Fire Safety In The Kitchen

1/4/2021 (Permalink)

Have a fire extinguisher in/near the kitchen

The kitchen is often the hub of the home where family and friends will gather and where meals are prepared. The kitchen is also an area where many home fires occur.

Cooking fires top the charts as the No. 1 cause of home fires and injuries. The leading cause of these kitchen fires is unattended cooking.

In one year alone, over $130 million in homeowners insurance claims related to grease and other cooking fires was paid out by State Farm.

Fire Safety Tips

One kitchen fire safety tip is staying in the kitchen while cooking, but it is not the only fire safety tip you should be following. Here are some other helpful tips to observe while cooking:

1. Be mindful of your how you are dressed. Long, flowing sleeves or big, baggy, loose-fitting clothing could catch on fire if you aren’t careful while cooking over the stove. It’s best to wear short or close-fitted sleeve shirts and make sure any baggy shirts are tucked in or tied back.

2. Watch the items around the stovetop. Be sure not to place kitchen towels, oven mitts, appliance cords or even curtains too close to the stovetop when cooking. Ideally, anything flammable will be moved away from it.

3. Have a fire extinguisher in/near the kitchen. Every home needs to have at least one fire extinguisher located in your home, preferably one that is near your kitchen. Make sure you know how to properly use the extinguisher, just in case it is ever needed.

4. Do not throw hot grease in the garbage can. The temperature of hot grease alone may just be hot enough to cause something in the trash to burn even if the grease is not on fire. Let the grease cool a bit and then dispose of it in an old coffee can. Also, know the smoke points of the oils you cook with. Be sure to never subject a low-smoke point oil to high heat when cooking, as it could catch fire.

5. Have a fire escape plan established. By creating a fire escape plan, you are preparing your family for a worst-case scenario, which is never fun, but it’s better for everyone to be prepared if an emergency were to occur. Review exit routes and designated meeting points with your family, making sure that everyone knows what to do.

Fire safety in the kitchen is an absolute necessity, as it can help prevent dangerous and destructive cooking fires. If your home has experienced damage from a cooking fire, know that SERVPRO of West Bradenton/Anna Maria Island is here to make it “Like it never even happened.”

Call SERVPRO of West Bradenton/Anna Maria Island (941) 792-7715