Kitchen / Cooking Hazards

The number one cause of fires in homes today is due to cooking.  The following tips can keep you from becoming a part of this statistic:

• Place a fire extinguisher in the kitchen away from the stove and near an exit.
• Keep flammable materials (towels, cookbooks, curtains) away from the stove.
• When encountering grease fires, turn off the stove or oven and cover with a lid.  Never pour water on a grease fire.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition
• Only use your microwave for cooking food.  Placing wet objects in the microwave will not dry them and is a serious fire hazard.
• Wear an apron or tight fitting clothes when cooking.  Baggy clothes can easily catch fire when working near a stove or oven.
• When leaving home for long periods of time, turn of the natural gas line feeding your stove or unplug the stove if it is electric.