Fire Safety

Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires. Never leave cooking unattended. Follow these helpful tips to keep you and your family safe in the kitchen.

• It's wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
• Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door.
• Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen.
• Don't store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
• Don't overload kitchen electrical outlets and don't use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
• Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here's why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve.
• Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which curtains are hanging.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly. and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool.
• Operate your microwave only when there is food in it.