Kitchen fires are the #1 cause of house fires and injuries to homeowners, so avoiding them is a worthy goal for each household. Using common-sense precautions can greatly reduce the chance of starting a cooking fire during meal preparation, and understanding how to avoid these fires is easy and smart. Listed here are several suggestions from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
1. Cooking oil, a main ingredient for frying and sautéing, is also a prime cause of sudden stove-top fires. Intelligent cooks heat oils slowly to the required temperature, then add food gently to reduce the chance of splatter and flare-up. Having an appropriately sized lid next to your pan gives you a means to quickly cover the pan and snuff out sudden flames.
2. Great chefs always remain in the kitchen; unattended cooking is a dangerous gamble. Staying in the kitchen, specifically when frying, grilling, broiling or boiling, is a smart and obvious way to avoid an out-of-control fire.
3. Roasting, simmering and baking foods takes more time. While the chances of a fire may seem less, the main culprit is not remembering to check on your meal. Set a timer to remind you to check back every so often, and be sure that any wooden utensils, oven mitts, paper products, dish towels and curtains are placed far away from heat sources.
4. Early morning and late evening cooking coincides with the time you may be more sleepy. Staying alert is staying safe, so be sure you’re not too tired or distracted by other tasks. Consuming alcohol can be enjoyable when cooking meals, but it is also a risk that can be minimized if not completely avoided.
5. Fight or flight. There is no concrete answer concerning whether it is better to fight a kitchen fire or immediately leave the room, close the door behind you and call for help. If you’re really unsure, take the safest route and call 911 as soon as you and all others can leave the kitchen.
NFPA studies state that 55 percent of the people who were injured in reported nonfatal home cooking fires during 2005-2009 were injured when they tried to fight the fire themselves. One of every four house fires reported in 2007-2011 started with fat or grease, and one of every three fire injuries resulted from these fires.