Indoor Cooking Safety
August 25, 2006
We’ve all got to eat, right? So we all have to do some sort of cooking to survive (because it’s pretty expensive to eat out every meal!)  But, did you know that most fires in residential structures begin in the kitchen? If you think about it, it’s pretty logical; that’s where we have all of the hot things surrounded by flammable things. Electric or gas ranges surrounded by dish towels, pot holders, aprons, hot oil and any thing else that can cause a problem pretty quickly if you’re not paying attention. So let’s talk a little about cooking safety.
Here are a bunch of simple things to think about concerning your kitchen. One is to never store things on your stove. Cute knick knacks and decorations are nice but they can fall onto a burner unnoticed and become a problem. Also, never set grocery bags on the stove when you get home from the store. Someone could have just finished using the stove and the groceries could ignite. In regards to your stove and oven, always keep them clean. Built up grease under the burners or in the oven can ignite and cause kitchen fire. And don’t believe the statement “Self-Cleaning Oven.” Those who have a severe build up of grease in their oven and try this feature usually end up calling our department for help. The trouble is that the oven automatically locks the door and sets the temperature very high to burn off the grease. Occasionally, the grease ignites and flames are visible in the oven window and smoke starts pumping out of the vent like a steam engine! If this happens, shut of the breaker to the oven and call us to help get the smoke out of your house!
Here are some tips on cooking safety. One is to never where loose clothing while cooking. While leaning over a burner, your clothes could catch fire and this would be a bad thing. Also, the loose clothing could snag a pot or pan full of something hot, dumping it on you or someone standing next to you, burning you or them severely. On this note, always remember, when cooking with pots and pans, turn the handles in towards the wall. A handle hanging over the front of the stove can be bumped by you or grabbed by and inquisitive child, spilling its contents and causing severe burns.
If you do have a grease fire in a pan on the stove, here’s what you do. One, never try to move it. Many people try to move a burning pan to the sink and they end up spreading the fire. Why? Because no one moves slowly with something on fire in their hands! They jerk the pan or trip while moving it, spilling the flaming contents, spreading the fire. If they do luckily make it to the sink, they end up splashing the liquid on to the walls or window shades, again spreading the fire. Leave the pan where it is and turn off the burner. Remove the heat and the fire goes out. If you have a lid or a cookie sheet or something that will cover the pan completely, slid it on to the pan. By doing this, you will be smothering the fire. Remove the oxygen and the fire goes out. If you don’t have a lid, you can use baking soda to put out the fire. Throw handfuls of baking soda across the top of the pan allowing it to rain into the pan. By doing this, you are using the baking soda to smother the fire. As before, remove the oxygen the fire goes out. Do not throw it directly into the pan because you could splash flaming grease on to the stove, spreading the fire. And remember, use baking SODA not baking POWDER. Baking power is so fine that it’s actually flammable! What else could you use? How about a fire extinguisher! A fire extinguisher is basically baking soda under pressure. There are many advantages to fire extinguishers. One is what we call reach. You can stand on one side of the kitchen and put out a fire on the other side. This means less chance of an injury. The other is they have the power to put out a large amount of fire. Happy Cooking !
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