How often has the doorbell rung or you’ve been interrupted while you were cooking, causing you to forget about food you were cooking until smoke filled the house?
If this sounds familiar, read on, because you’re running the risk of having a dangerous fire. Over half of the fires that the Bismarck Fire Department responds to each year are cooking related fires. While most only smoke up the house or apartment, the chances of having a devastating fire can be only moments away.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Latest statistics from NFPA say that one out of every three home fires started in the kitchen and more than 155,000 fires a year were related to cooking.
And guess why most of these fires occur? If you said it’s leaving cooking unattended, you’ve got it right. “Often when we’re called to a cooking-related fire, the residents tell us they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said Ron Kunda, Bismarck Fire Marshal. “Sadly, that’s all it takes to go from routine to disaster.”
The bottom line is that there’s really no safe period of time for the cook to step away from a hot stove. A few key points to remember:
• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven or microwave.
• Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet around the stove. Keep pets from underfoot so you do not trip while cooking.
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger as the water turns to steam if the moisture in the mitt is heated.
• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until it is completely cool. Never pour water on a grease fire and never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire, as it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire.
• If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.
• If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave. Call the fire department and make sure to have the oven serviced before you use it again. Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot. Remove the lids or other coverings from microwaved food carefully to prevent steam burns.
A cooking fire can quickly turn deadly. Too many homes can be destroyed and people killed or injured by fires that could have been easily avoided. Please heed these simple safety rules. For more information visit www.bismarck.org/fire