Fire Preparation and Prevention

October is National Fire Prevention Month. 

According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. 
Here are some tips for preventing kitchen fires:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food
• If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove
• When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you
• If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible
• Keep children and pets at least three (3) feet away from the stove
• When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves
• Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop
• Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops

In the event of a fire, ALWAYS CALL 911 and let the professionals do their job. But there are ways you can be prepared to allow for quick action. 

Get a home fire extinguisher. 

• Make sure you read the instructions and are familiar with how to use your fire extinguisher BEFORE you encounter a fire. 
• You can buy fire extinguishers at local hardware stores or places like Walmart. 

 Know how to put out different types of house fires.

• Small electrical fires – Never use water! Switch off the power to whatever started the fire, and smother it with a clean, nonflammable blanket. You can also use a Type C fire extinguisher. (Your average Type A:B:C extinguisher is ok too.)
• Small cooking fires  – If a grease fire starts in your kitchen, never try to put it out with water! Calmly turn the heat off to the pan and try to cover it with a metal lid. If you can’t do that, smother the flames with baking soda (a lot of baking soda!) or use a Type A:B:C fire extinguisher.
• Small gas fires – If your home uses gas, you should know how to put out a small gas fire. Immediately shut off the gas supply. You can smother the fire with a thick rug, put it out with cool water, or use a Type B extinguisher. (Again, Type A:B:C extinguishers will work too.)