Kitchen Fire Prevention Tips

6/4/2018 (Permalink)

The aftermath of a kitchen fire.

We've all done it - put something on the stove and got busy elsewhere in the house - completely forgetting that we were cooking until we smell something acrid and burning.  In some cases, maybe you've actually gone outside or on an errand.  

Kitchen fires travel fast and knowing some tips to extinguish them could reduce the risk of injury and damage.  

Tip #1:  Never throw water on a kitchen fire.  It seems counter to what you'd intuitively do, but water on a grease fire will act as an accelerant and the fire will flash and spread rapidly.

Tip #2:  Keep a kitchen rated fire extinguisher in an easily accessible cabinet and install a smoke detector in the far end of the kitchen (not so close to the stove that regular use sets it off).

Tip #3:  With a stove fire, dampen and wring out a kitchen towel, then toss it over the flames to smother it.

Tip #4:  Cook pots should have the handles turned in, so toddlers cannot grab and tip them.

Tip #5:  Use a timer and set an alert on your mobile phone if you plan to leave the room so you don't forget you were cooking.