Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
It’s Fire Prevention Week! Cooking or barbecuing is one of the leading causes of home fires and home fire injury caused by either overheated cooking oil or food left on a cooking top unattended.
Tips to help keep you and your family safe:
- Never leave cooking unattended and check your food regularly.
- Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or if grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
- Heat cooking oil slowly and keep the temperature below 200 C.
- Make sure children and pets stay at least one metre away from a hot stove.
- Avoid cooking when you are sleepy or drowsy from medication, alcohol or cannabis.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so that no one can bump them or pull them over.
- Keep cooking areas clear of materials that can catch on fire, such as potholders, wooden utensils, towels, drapes, and food packaging.
- Avoid wearing clothing with long sleeves while cooking or barbecuing.
What to do during cooking fires
- Never pour water on a cooking pan grease fire. Keep the pot on the stove and smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan.
- If it is safe to do so, turn off the heat and the exhaust fan to stop flames and gases from spreading.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from escaping.
- For a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the appliance if it is safe to do so.
Check out this Fire Prevention Week video developed by Rocky View Firefighters IAFF Local 4794, providing key safety tips and information.
Other important fire safety tips:
- Prepare and practise an escape plan for your family.
- Always make sure to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement, and in or near each sleeping area.
- If your smoke alarm sounds and you see or smell smoke or fire, you and your family need to get out of the home as quickly as possible and call 9-1-1.
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Fire & Emergency