Cooking Safety: How to Prevent and Respond to Kitchen Fires

Did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few simple safety tips, you can ensure that your family and you home remain protecting against a kitchen fire.

Cook with Caution

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the stove if you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time.
• Check foods regularly that you are simmering, baking, roasting or broiling. Do not leave your home while cooking and set a timer to remind yourself if you are cooking anything.
• Keep flammable kitchen items (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, etc.) away from your stove top.
• Maintain a "kid free zone" of at least 3 feet around the stove and any other areas where hot foods or drinks are prepared or carried.

Extinguishing Kitchen Fires

For Grease Fires:

• DO NOT attempt to use water on a grease fire. Doing so is very dangerous and may lead to the fire spreading.
• If the fire is on the stove top, smother the flames with a lid, turn off the burner, and remove the pan from the burner.
• Leave the pan until it is completely cooled.
• If the fire is in the oven, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

For Other Small Fires:

• If you have an extinguisher in your kitchen, make sure to use it by aiming at the source of the flames, not the flames themselves.
• If you are ever in doubt about your ability to extinguish a fire, get out of the room and house and close the door behind you to help contain the fire and dial 9-1-1 immediately.