Causes of Fires in the Kitchen

You may not realize it, but a large portion of the house fires that occur are due to bad cooking practices. Research suggests that around 400,000 fires each year are due to this and there are a number of things that you can do to prevent this from happening while you are making your next meal.

The first thing you need to consider is what to wear while you are cooking. Wearing long sleeves that are loose can catch on fire faster than you can blink. Try to avoid storing necessary things over the stove like flour and other things you may require while cooking. You do not want to have to reach over a burner or other hot surface for anything.

Any grease or oil that you need to heat before you begin should be done so slowly and you should never leave it unattended. Do not allow yourself to become preoccupied with other household chores or with the telephone, since this can distract you from the most important thing that should be on your mind at that moment: the grease.

If you do have a grease fire in your kitchen, you have a few options to put it out. You can smother it with a pot lid if it is contained to a pan. If it spreads outside the pan, you can use either your fire extinguisher (every kitchen should have one of these) or baking soda. Baking soda can be used to put out small fires that can occur under stove burners due to grease.

Children should also not be allowed to play around the kitchen stove or other hot appliances, especially deep fryers, while they are in use.

Overloading power outlets is also a cause of fires in the kitchen and other areas of the house. You should not use extension cords with appliances that put out a lot of heat, like deep fryers and electric skillets.

One of the last things that you should remember is that if you have any doubt as to whether you can control the fire that has started, call 911! The worst mistake that you could make is trying to control a fire that you know you cannot. A small fire on the stove is one thing, but if it starts to spread beyond that, do not hesitate to call 911 to get immediate assistance.