We hope not, because the majority of of all house fires start in the kitchen. In this video from Australia, Fire Investigator Mick Forbes walks us through a unit destroyed by fire – the cause was a pot left unattended on the stove. Do you leave cooking unattended? Check out the tour of this burned out home here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=781797655188147
Lt. Tom Kiurski, a 30-year veteran of the fire service, serves the Brighton Area Fire Department in Michigan as an academy instructor. He writes about the “Tale of Two Fires” where two families in Warren, Ohio, had cooking fires where 10 adults and children perished in one year. His article in the Livingston County Daily Press and Argus tells a compelling story about how cooking fires can be prevented.
His article begins, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. While those are lines from Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” it also has a lot to do with the tale I will tell you of two families in Ohio.” Read more by clicking here.
These would be funny if they weren’t so darn scary! The Huffington Post brings us “Up In Smoke” – some very bad kitchen cooking fire experiences. Check it out here.
Gilbert Arizona firefighter Mike Conner is deputy chief of Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department, Community Services Division. Here is his advice which originally appeared in the Arizona Republic website.
Question: What should I do if I have a cooking fire?
Answer: Cooking fires are the number one cause of house fires and injuries. The main contributor is unattended cooking, which is the cause of nearly 90 percent of these fires.
Fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than in any other room in your home. The National Fire Protection Association reported that in 2011 cooking was involved in an estimated 156,300 structure fires and caused 470 deaths, 5,390 injuries and more than $1 billion in property damage.
The statistic that should be an eye-opener is that more than half of reported non-fatal cooking-fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fires themselves. Most of these are from incorrect techniques like using water to fight a grease fire.
Never leave food that is cooking unattended — whether frying, grilling or using the broiler. If you must leave, turn off the appliance. When you’re baking, check it regularly and never leave your home.
Keep your work area clear of anything that can catch on fire: oven mitts, towels, food packaging. Loose clothing can be a danger, wear short and close-fitting sleeves when cooking. Also be aware of loose-fitting aprons that can dangle onto burners.
When using cooking oil, if it starts to boil, remove it from the heat source and let it cool before adding food. If oil catches on fire, wear an oven mitt and slide a lid over the pan or use a baking sheet to cover it. Having a lid out on the counter, even if you’re not using it, is a good idea in case of a fire. A fire extinguisher kept in the kitchen is also a great idea.
If you can’t cover a grease fire or can’t access the fire extinguisher, call 911.
Battalion Chief (Ret.) Robert Avsec served with the men and women of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and EMS Department for 26 years. He’s now using his acquired knowledge, skills, and experiences as a freelance writer for FireRescue1.com. He has some excellent ideas on educating the public about fires and how to prevent them. He emphasized that, “Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries [And has been for many years]. Unattended cooking is the leading factor contributing to these fires. Frying is the leading type of activity associated with cooking fires. More than half of all cooking fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fire themselves.”
If you’d like to learn more, please read the post here.
A townhouse cooking fire resident is thankful that the American Red Cross is helping him find a place to stay after he had a kitchen fire this week. Although it was reported to be a small kitchen fire, via the Peabody Patch, the townhouse unit was affected by water and smoke damage. The resident was OK, according to officials.
According to FEMA, in the United States fire-related injuries rank fifth among unintentional injuries, after motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, falls, and drowning. One study on published medical examiner results revealed that 42% of unintentional fire and burn fatalities were intoxicated (with a blood alcohol level greater than or equal 0.1). Another study found that alcoholics in Toronto have a fire death risk 9.7 times that of the city’s population. Further, a study of deaths in North Carolina found that 53% (69 of 130) adult victims were intoxicated, and in Alabama, more than half of the victims older than 17 tested positive for alcohol. Of the 374 fire fatalities in Minnesota from 1996 to 2002, 133 (36%) were found to have positive blood alcohol concentrations.
Moral of the story? Don’t drink and cook.
According to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal, an estimated five Americans are treated in an ER every hour for burns, scalds and related injuries from hot or poorly installed stoves. Important: most of the injuries could have been prevented with proper education about child safety gates, proper cooking clothing and installation information. A study conducted over 21 years showed that almost one million stove injuries were recorded with more than half in women.
More Cooking Fires Reported on Thanksgiving than Any Other Day
Guardian Safety Solutions International warns families that Thanksgiving can be hazardous to their health. About 45 house fires are reported every hour in the U.S., and 60 percent of apartment fires are started by cooking equipment. Sadly, children and the elderly make up the greatest national percentage of injury and death due to household fires.
“Thanksgiving is a special day with relatives, but answering the door to welcome guests can distract even the most careful cook,” said Paul Rouse, GSSI administrative officer. “Alcohol during Thanksgiving celebrations can also add to cooking inattentiveness. Next thing you know, a fire starts consuming the stove, curtains and other flammable material in the kitchen.” The popularity of turkey deep fryers has added another hazard to the celebration. The cooking oil temperature is extremely hot. Rouse said that they should be used as far from the house as possible. “It’s important to note that not one turkey fryer has been certified as safe by Underwriters Laboratories,” Rouse added. You can read more here.
TV station WAFF 48 in Alabama reports on how the holidays are one of the most dangerous times of year for household fires.
According to the report, “Cooking fires lead to more destruction than any other fires that we deal with,” said Fire Prevention Officer Dan Wilkerson. “One of the main reasons is because it’s the most common way that a fire could start in your home. Cooking fires are our number one cause of fires in the nation. Not only in Huntsville, across the nation.”
The U.S. Fire Administration statistics point to an estimated 1,900 residential building fires reported to fire departments on Thanksgiving Day, causing an estimated five deaths, 25 injuries and $28 million in property loss.
Wilkerson said that when cooking make sure you have a timer on to remind you of your meal and keep the handles of your pots and pans out of the reach of children. He also keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case.
