The theme for Fire Prevention Week this year is Cooking Safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Fire Administration, fire departments across the country respond to an average of 166,100 home fires per year involving cooking equipment.
Contributing factors include unattended cooking and items that were too close to the cooking equipment. And, 55% of those injured in home fires involving cooking equipment were hurt attempting to fight the fire on their own.
Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dan Burkhouse said, “this is the time to check smoke and fire detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors, too. Have an escape plan for the house, whether you have children or not.” He said that due to newer construction, fires double in size more rapidly. “You don’t have any time to waste,” Burkhouse added.
Since cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, and this year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week, a few tips to keep chefs safe come from a Recipe for Fire-Safe Cooking:
Burkhouse said there are other items to watch out for in the kitchen as well. Batteries, especially lithium batteries, can overheat, which leads to fires.
The national prevention organizations list the following recommendations:
In keeping with Burkhouse’s suggestion of having an escape plan, remember that your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
First, experts suggest that you draw a map of your home with all members of the household, marking two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit. Also, practice home fire drills twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with everyone in the home, and practice using different ways out. Don’t forget to teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them. Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find. Close doors behind you as you leave — doing so may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. And, once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building.
