Fire Prevention Week 2023, Cooking Safety Starts with You.
Cooking Safety
Stacey was heating up after-school snacks for her children when the food in the toaster oven caught fire. She quickly unplugged the appliance, kept the oven door closed and waited as the flames inside subsided. This scenario is repeated daily in kitchens across the country. Luckily, Stacey had learned about kitchen fire safety and knew what to do. She also had a kitchen fire extinguisher
nearby in the event the fire grew.
NFPA Statistics
Unfortunately, not all kitchen fires have the same outcome. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and is the leading cause of home fire injuries. NFPA data shows that cooking is the only major cause of fire that resulted in more fires and fire deaths in 2014-2018 than in 1980-1984. “These numbers tell us that more public awareness is needed around when and where cooking hazards exist, along with ways to prevent them,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of the Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. October 8-14 is Fire Prevention Week. Celebrated every October, This year’s theme is “Cooking safety starts with YOU.”
Fire Prevention Week
“This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign will work to promote tips, guidelines, and recommendations that can help significantly reduce the risk of having a cooking fire,” Carli said. The NFPA has several cooking safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe from cooking fires: Always keep a close eye on what you’re cooking. For foods with longer cook times, such as those that are simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully. Clear the cooking area of combustible items and keep anything that can burn, such as dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, and paper towels. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Create a “kid and pet free zone” of at least three feet (one meter) around the cooking area and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried. Carli said staying in the kitchen, using a timer and avoiding distractions while cooking are some of the key messages for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which kicked off on Sunday. Sponsored by the NFPA since its inception in 1922, Fire Protection Week is a national campaign to give the public up-to-date information about fire prevention and safety.
For more cooking safety information visit www.fpw.org. Additional Fire Prevention Week resources can be found at www.sparky.org and www.sparkyschoolhouse.org. Keeping yourself and your family safe in the event of a fire is up to you.
Contact Delco Alarm Systems at 610-494-9100 for additional information on the latest residential fire prevention systems.