Cooking during the holidays is a special time of year for many families. This is why it is best to take precautions while cooking. According to US Fire Administration http://www.usfa.fema.gov/), the kitchen can be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house if you don’t practice safe cooking behavior. Cooking equipment, most often a range or stovetop is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Cooking equipment is also the leading cause of unreported fires and associated injuries. Here are some safety cooking tips AARBF recommends:
WATCH WHAT YOU HEAT
- The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
- Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
KEEP FLAMMABLE ITEMS AND HEAT SOURCES APART
- Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains – away from your stovetop.
- Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.
- Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
- Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes into contact with a gas flame or electric burner.
For more cooking safety information, go to: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/cooking.shtm
AARBF wishes you and your family a fun, festive and safe holiday season!
