While nobody wants their food party to go up in smoke, kitchen fire accidents do not discriminate. You do not need a commercial-sized range to feel the heat and be a victim of cooking fires. You might have the most pricey or cheapest stove or cooktop, but this will not decrease or increase your odds of experiencing kitchen fires. At the end of the day, your routines will still determine your chances.
So let’s discuss how to prevent kitchen fire accidents to protect you from this dangerous disaster.
How to Prevent Kitchen Fires
Cooking is a prominent cause of home fires and fire-related injuries. Whether you’re preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack for your household, practicing safe cooking behaviors and preventive measures can keep you from danger. Below are five helpful tips for preventing kitchen fires to keep your home safe.
1. Unplug home appliances that are not in use
Air fryers, mixers, oven toasters, coffee makers, and the like continue to draw electricity when plugged in, even when not switched on. If their wiring is faulty, old, or beginning to tear apart, a fire may break out, so always unplug appliances when not in use.
2. Keep your appliances clean
Look for buildup or grease on your counters and kitchen appliances like deep fryers, toaster ovens, electric grills, and toasters. These appliances may develop a dangerous accumulation of combustible substances after many uses, so check these surfaces from time to time. Use a mixture of baking soda and dish soap or oil-based cleaner to eliminate the food particles and grease.
3. Install smoke alarms
Technically, smoke alarms do not really prevent fires, but they are still a vital preventive measure that can save you and your household later. It’s an important device for fire safety and a reliable first line of defense. If your house does not have one, do not postpone installing one. Regularly check your smoke alarm to ensure it works properly, and remember to change its batteries twice a year when you do the same for your wall clock.
Having a smoke alarm at home can save you money from hiring fire restoration firms, as it makes you responsive and proactive in extinguishing a fire before it becomes big enough to consume your home. If you need to hire their services, you may read more on this page.
4. Stay in the kitchen when cooking
This may look evident, but the National Fire Protection Association says unattended cooking is among the major culprits of kitchen fires. If you need to leave a stove unattended to do something quickly, turn off your range or cooktop and move the cooking pan to a cool burner or surface. Simple forgetfulness and negligence can set your kitchen on fire, so never ever leave your kitchen unattended when you’re cooking.
Otherwise, you’ll need to hire smoke and odor remediation services to address the damage caused by cooking fires.
5. Keep your kids and pets at a distance
If you have kids, keep them at least three meters away from the stove for their safety. Pets should also be kept away from cooking surfaces, so they don’t catch fire or push objects into the burners. Wooden utensils, drapes, food boxes, towels, and potholders should also be moved away from the stove to avoid fire accidents.
