With the holidays approaching, you and your family may be hosting dinner parties, baking sweets, and doing more in your kitchen than usual. With these additional cooking activities happening, the possibility of a kitchen fire increases, potentially putting your loved ones and home at risk. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent a fire before it happens. Take these steps to prevent a kitchen fire from complicating your holiday celebrations.
1. Clean up old grease and spills.
Before turning on ovens, stoves, or microwaves, inspect all the cooking surfaces for cleanliness. Wipe away grease and any charred food that may be lying underneath burner coils, atop the stove, or in the oven.
2. Stay near the heat.
It’s tempting to step away from the stove or grill to watch television or check a smartphone. But unattended cooking is the number one cause of kitchen fires. Stay near the heat source while cooking, and turn off all heat sources when you step away.
3. Practice safe cooking habits.
Remember to put lids on pots, watching to make sure they don’t boil over. Keep dish towels and pot holders far away from the heat source. Use clean, well-kept splatter shields over frying pans.
4. Have safety tools within reach.
Stock your kitchen with a working, easy-to-use fire extinguisher. Keep lids nearby in case you need to smother a grease fire. Don’t use soiled or greasy towels, utensils or pot holders.
5. Know how to defeat a grease fire.
When oil or lard gets too hot, it can quickly catch fire. And many home fires start because the rules of putting out a grease fire are different than what many people realize. Here are some handy tips for handling a grease fire.
Do:
Respond swiftly. Put a lid over the pan to cut off oxygen. Turn off the heat source. If the fire is very small, pouring on a lot of baking soda may put it out. For bigger fires, use a Class K fire extinguisher (which is specifically for use in dealing with grease fires).
Don’t:
Throw water on a grease fire or remove the pan from the stove — both these moves can make the fire worse. If the flames are too big to handle, evacuate your home and call emergency services immediately.
6. Keep an eye on children.
Ensure safety by keeping children at least three feet away from the stove, oven, grill, or other heat sources. Turn pot handles away so that kids can’t grab them. Have someone watch children so the chef can concentrate on cooking.
7. Place grills in a safe spot.
If you plan to use a grill or a deep fryer for your turkey or other holiday cooking, follow safety rules. Move the grill or fryer more than ten feet away from your home, including your porch, patio, trees and bushes. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual or research safe cooking techniques. Deep frying a turkey is the cause of many home fires too, so be sure you know how to do it properly before attempting it.
Get help when you need it.
By using these safety measures, you’re much more likely to prevent a fire from occurring. But even when you’re careful, accidents can happen. If a fire occurs, the first step is to get everyone to safety and call 911. After the fire is extinguished, you can begin to consider ways to restore your property and get your life back to normal.
Fires can be stressful — but fire and smoke restoration don’t have to be!
At TRILINK, our experienced, caring team can be there at a moment’s notice to help you get your home and life on the road to recovery fast after an emergency occurs. We offer a full range of fire and smoke restoration services to help you get back on your feet and back to life as normal.
Call us anytime — 24-hours a day — at 405-525-5465 to learn more. We’ll be glad to answer your questions and give you the information you need to make an informed choice when you’re ready to make home repairs.
