Fire Safety In the Kitchen

With the Superbowl on Sunday, many people will be doing a lot of cooking and baking. With all of that activity in the kitchen the chances increase for fires to occur.

Many fires that occur in homes start in the kitchen. In fact, the National Fire Protection Assocation (NFPA) lists cooking fires as the #1 cause of home fires and home fire-related injuries. These types of fires are easy to prevent however.  My goal here is to provide readers with a few tips for helping to prevent these fires as well as what you can do should a fire in the kitchen occur.

Preventing a kitchen fire:

1. Keep your appliances in good repair

Periodically inspect electrical cords for fraying or nicks and check gas lines for rust, punctures or leaks. If you notice any of these issues, have your appliance repaired or replaced. Additionally, if you notice the appliance acting "funny" or making noises that it doesn't usually make, discontinue use and have it either repaired or replaced.

2. Keep kitchen appliances clean

The buildup of crumbs in toasters or toaster ovens, spatters in microwaves and grease and other materials on cook tops can create flammable situations. Be sure to wipe up spills on stoves and in microwaves and be sure to clear the crumb trays in your toaster or toaster ovens. 

3.  Install a smoke detector near, but not in the kitchen

This is an important point because while you want the smoke detector close enough to detect smoke from an actual fire, you don't want it going off constantly for every small amount of smoke from regular cooking.

4.  Never leave cooking unattended

NFPA lists unattended cooking as the leading cause of kitchen fires. You should NEVER leave cooking unattended.  If you must leave the kitchen for whatever reason, ask someone to watch over the food for you.  Items on stoves in particular can overheat if unattended and boil over or spatter causing an a fire to ignite.  While you should never leave any cooking unattended, it is even more important to follow this when cooking with oils.

5.  Keep other flammable items away from stoves 

Dish towels, pot holders, paper towels, napkins and other items could ignite if left next to a burner for too long.These tips can go a long way in preventing kitchen fires, but despite our best efforts things can and do still happen. With that in mind there a few things you can do in the event of a fire to keep it from becoming something big.

Extinguishing A Kitchen Fire:

Before I go any further, I must make one very important point. Do not attempt to extinguish any fire unless you can safely do so.  I you do not feel safe or comfortable attempting to extinguish the fire, evacuate your home and use a cell phone or a neighbor's phone to call 911.

1.  Do not use water to extinguish

The majority of fires in the kitchen result from either electrical sources or from flammable liquids. Water will only cause a shock hazard (electrical) or spread the flames around (flammable liquids).

2.  Keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it

Fire extinguishers can be obtained relatively inexpensively from most hardware and home stores. Make sure that you check to ensure that the fire extinguisher covers the types of fires you may encounter.Keep the extinguisher in the kitchen or in close proximity to the kitchen and ensure easy access to it.  A fire can grow exponentially in the time it takes to recover an extinguisher from a crowded closet or cabinet.

Operate the extinguisher using the PASS method.  PASS stands for:

Pull the pin from the extinguisher charging handle

Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire

Squeeze the charging handle

Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the fire until it has gone out

3.  Additionally extinguishing methods

If you don't have a fire extinguisher handy, there are a few other ways you can extinguish fires in the kitchen.  In the case of an electrical fire, try to unplug the appliance if you can. Electrical fires are a result of the heat produced by electricity.  Removing that electricity will usually cause the fire to go out.

For fires that start from a pot or pan one of the easiest ways to put out the fire is to place a lid on it. Placing a lid on the pot or pan will cut off the flow of oxygen to the fire and will snuff it out. Baking soda is also an effective extinguishing agent for fires occurring on the stove. When baking soda heats, it reduces to Carbon Dioxide gas that denies oxygen to the fire. Be sure that you ONLY use baking soda however. Do not use flour as it will burn.

By following these few simple tips you can ensure a great cooking experience while protecting your family and your home.  Have a great Superbowl weekend and stay safe!