Kitchen and Fire Tips

I haven't done any straight emergency preparedness for a while, but we just got a new stove, and among our papers there was a handout.

Recipe for safer cooking

The pamphlet comes from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and the National Safety Council.

Even though everything seems really obvious, sometimes reminders are good, so here are the tips, with comments:

To Prevent A Cooking Fire In Your Kitchen - 

Keep an eye on your cooking and stay in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is the #1 cause of cooking fire. (I have seen a cooking fire start this way, and she hadn't even gotten very far away or for very long. It blazed up really suddenly.)

Wear short or close-fitting sleeves. Loose clothing can catch fire.

Watch children closely. When old enough, teach children to cook safely.

Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up. (Unattended cooking is a great way to have pots boil over, and lead to that flammable build-up.)

Keep curtains, towels, and pot holders away from hot surfaces and store solvents and flammable cleaners away from heat sources. Never keep gasoline in the house.

Turn pan handles inward to prevent food spills.

To Put Out A Cooking Fire In Your Kitchen - 

Call the fire department immediately. In many cases, dialing 911 will give you Emergency Services. (Personally I would say extinguish the fire immediately, but I have never had a large one that could not be easily addressed. If you are going to need help,  yes, the sooner you call the better.)

Slide a pan lid over flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan outside. (I have seen someone try to remove the flaming pan. That is a great way to catch other things on fire. Don't do that.)

Extinguish other food fires with baking soda. Never use water or floor on cooking fires. (Really important, and probably not intuitive. It is worth thinking about how much baking soda you have. A small container that is mostly empty might not help much.)

Keep the over door shut and turn off the heat to smother an oven or broiler fire.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure you have the right type and training.

Keep a working smoke detector in your home and test it monthly.

(Ultimately, it is much better to prevent the fire than to put it out. It's good to know both, but try and say in the first half of the tips.)