Kitchen Fire Safety
In Maryland....kitchen fires are the leading cause of fires in the home. By reading and following the tips below, you can prevent kitchen fires in your home!
How to Prevent fires in Your Home
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Never leave food or appliances unattended while cooking
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Always maintain alertness while cooking, and never cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs
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Keep flammable objects at least three feet away from the stove, toaster over, or other heat source
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Maintain cleanliness of appliances including, the stove, oven and burners
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Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing that can catch fire if you stand too close
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Have an approved ABC Fire Extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure everyone in the household knows how to use it
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Do not use flour or water to put out grease fires, cover with a lid and turn off the stovetop
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For oven fires, close the door and turn off oven, wait until fire is completely out before reopening the oven
NFPA "Cooking Fire Safety"
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Keep Children Safe and Avoid Scalds or Burns
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Use the stove's back burners and turn pot handles away from the stove edge
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Keep cords out of reach from counter edges and coiled up
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Use dry oven mitts or potholders when moving hot food, wet oven mitts allow heat to travel faster causing scalds and burns
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Open containers that have been heated in the microwave slowly and away from the face
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Create a three foot Kid-Free Zone around the stove, hot food, pans or, trays
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Teach kids what is or can be hot and should not be touched
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Keep hot pans, handles, and food out of reach
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Do not use a tablecloth or place-mats with young children
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Most importantly, teach children how to cook safely and always with help from an adult (when age appropriate)
