It’s another Fire Safety Tip Friday here in the Ville. This week, we’re discussing ‘Cooking Fires’ also referred to as ‘Careless Cooking’ or ‘Food On The Stove’. Did you know that cooking related fires is on the increase (nationwide) and deaths associated with this fire cause is as well? This is particularly true here in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Region. Fortunately we have not experienced any deaths here in Huntersville…but surrounding Cities have – which is why we’ve chosen this as our topic of the week.
The facts: Cooking Fires are the LEADING cause of home fires and home fire injuries nationwide. There are a total of 455 daily fires associated with cooking here in the US and an average of 166,100 fires every year. The majority of these fires are caused by ‘Unattended Cooking’ also known as food left on the stove. 33% of home fires is attributed to unattended cooking, 49% of associated fire deaths and 46% of fire injuries. These are some big numbers. Rest assured, we’re not going to give you the facts without tips to combat these fires:
ALWAYS COOK WITH CAUTION!
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking. (Frying, boiling, grilling or broiling)
• Stay Alert – NEVER cook if you are intoxicated or sleepy
• The best defense for a fire is a matching lid. If a pan or pot catches fire; quickly slide the married lid over and smother the fire
• If you have an oven fire, turn the oven off and leave the oven closed
• If you have a grease fire – DO NOT extinguish with water. Turn off the burner, use a married lid to smother the fire and get out. DO NOT attempt to move the pot or pan, you could receive burns
• If you can not control the fire, get out and stay out. Notify the fire department via 911 and we will be on the way within minutes.
• Smoke Alarms save lives, please make sure your home has fully functional smoke alarms installed in the home (smoke alarms expire around 10 years)
• Have a home fire escape plan, practice it and always have 2 ways out of every room.
#OneTownOneTeam #FridayFireSafetyTip
