Kitchen and Cooking Fire Safety

Kitchen fires and cooking are the leading cause of injury in the home. Some important safety tips for preventing kitchen fires are cooking injuries are:

• Never leave cooking unattended, stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food
• If you must leave the kitchen, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan
• Never hold a child while you are cooking or carrying hot foods or liquids
• To prevent overheating and ignition of cooking oil, fry foods in a temperature controlled deep-fat fryer or skillet designed for a maximum temperature of 200 °C
• Make sure to use dry oven mitts and potholders to prevent scalding or burns
• Use the stove’s back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk of pots being knocked over
• Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, and other items that can burn, away from your stovetop
• Remember not to store combustible or flammable items in the bottom drawer of the oven
• In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed
• Clean food and grease from the oven and stovetop once it has cooled
• Never use aluminum foil or metal in a microwave oven
• If a fire starts in the microwave oven, leave the door closed, turn it off, and unplug it from the wall. 
  Get out and call 9-1-1

Home Escape Plan - Fires occur most often at home. Take precautions to protect yourself an have a home escape plan.