Increasing Numbers of House Fires

5/5/2020 (Permalink)

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. During the past few months, we have noticed an increase in home fires. Most likely due to the number of  restaurants being closed during the current pandemic and families having to cook at home more often than usual. If you don’t practice safe cooking habits, your routine dinner plans could become hazardous very quickly.  The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. 

Tips for avoiding kitchen fires:

• Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stove-top.

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food.

• If you are simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

• Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towel or curtains – away from stove-top.

If a fire occurs while you are cooking, consider the following safety protocols to help keep you and your family safe.

• Keep a lid nearby when you are cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stove-top. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

• If you try to fight the fire, be sure anyone else in the home is getting out and that you have a clear way out.

• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

• If the fire is out of control, just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.

SERVPRO of Stone Mountain/Clarkston and their professional team are always here to help. Call us today at (770)496-1976.