Remember to watch what you heat when cooking or frying and keep a 3-foot kid free zone away from anything that is hot.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries each year. Adults over the age of 65 are twice as likely to die in a cooking-related home fire. Adults 85 years and over are four times as likely to die from a burn injury. E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire & Safety offer a few tips you can follow to prevent these fires, fatalities, and injuries:
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stovetop.
- Stand by your pan! Stay in the kitchen while 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 are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains— away from your stovetop.
- Turn handles of pots and pans to the side so you don’t accidentally bump them and spill the contents.
- Cook on back burners first to avoid young hands from touching hot burners or hot pans.
- Keep kids away from the cooking area. Maintain a three-foot kid free zone away from things that are hot and can burn (the stove, oven, microwave, or food).
- Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can easily catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.
- Check the kitchen after you finish cooking to make sure the oven, burners and other appliances are turned off.
Remember to take a few minutes and use common sense to prevent a fire or burn injury Where You Live!