The leading cause of fires in homes and home injuries is cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. And unattended cooking is the top cause of kitchen fires. Therefore, it’s essential that you follow some safety tips to avoid having a kitchen fire.
Don’t Leave Food Unattended
Don’t walk out of your kitchen when you are cooking. Food that is grilling, frying or broiling should always be watched. Be sure to turn your stove off if you have to leave the kitchen for any reason, even if it’s for a quick minute.
Install Smoke Alarms
Make sure you have properly working smoke alarms through your home, especially near your kitchen and sleeping areas. You should also have them installed inside your bedrooms and on every home level . Test them each month to make sure they are still working and make sure the batteries are replaced annually.
Keep Children Away While Cooking
While cooking, keep your children out of the kitchen. Let them know that while you are cooking it is a ‘kid-free zone’. If you have to have your kids around, be sure to:
- Use the back burners of your stove
- Have your kids stand behind you or sit quietly on the floor while you cook
- Keep handles of all pans turned in
You can never be too safe with little ones around.
Keep Flammable Items Away from Stove
Keep any item that can easily catch fire away from your stove such as wooden utensils, pot holders, plastic or paper bags, oven mitts, curtains, towels or food packaging.
Keep a Pan Lid Near
Make sure you have a lid next to you while you cook in case you do have a fire. If a fire starts, you can turn slide the lid over the pot or pan first to snuff out the flames and then your burner off. Keep the lid on the pan until it cools since lifting it prematurely could get the fire started again.
Cooking fires happen and if one does, you should always be prepared. Remember that grease fires can spread if you try and throw water on it. If you have a fire in your microwave or oven, keep the door shut and turn the heat off. If you catch your clothes on fire, remember the stop, drop and roll command which will smother the fire out. When all else fails, always call for help the minute you think you can’t get the fire stopped. As always, be sure that you are properly protected with homeowners insurance.
Contact us here at bolt insurance Agency for a complimentary homewoners quote or if you have any questions about a home insurance policy.
