Preventing Fires in The Kitchen

This year’s National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week is scheduled for October 6-12. Paul Davis is proud to be a part of this year’s events. This year’s fire safety campaign theme is Prevent Kitchen Fires, which focuses on unattended cooking as the leading cause of home fires along with teaching homeowners how to stop kitchen fires entirely. There is not a longer public health and safety observance on record.

Home fires occur in the kitchen more often than any other spot in the home. Actually, two of every five home fires start there. Fires that start in the kitchen can be dangerous after only burning for a few minutes and could result in significant damage and injuries. Find out more by visiting the website at www.nfpa.org.

Follow these steps to keep you and your family safe:

• Don’t leave the kitchen when you’re frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.
• If you have to leave the room, even for a minute, turn off the stove.
• When you’re simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it often, stay nearby, and use a timer.
• If you have young children, use the back burners of the stove whenever possible.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away from your stove.
• When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
• Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.
• Clean up food and grease from burners.
• Smoke alarms should be installed in the kitchen; never disable smoke alarms.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors.
• Have a family plan in place.
• Have a portable ladder in every second floor room.
• Replace fire extinguishers when needed.
• Have an updated, emergency first aid kit.