Candle Safety | Smoke Alarms | Carbon Monoxide |
Room To Room Safety

Kitchen	Bedroom	Bathroom
Living Room	Basement

National statistics show that on the average, every person in this country will experience two kitchen fires in their lifetime. Hopefully, you will avoid a fire in your kitchen. Those of you who are prepared and know how to respond to this kind of an emergency can minimize damage.

When a kitchen fire strikes, know what to do!

The most common kitchen fire starts in a pan or on top of the stove. When it happens, don't try to move it. In doing so, you will only increase the chances of spreading the flames.

How to extinguish

1. Try to extinguish the fire in the pan by slowly sliding the lid over the pan. Don't try to throw the lid on from a distance or place the lid directly on the pan.
2. By sliding the lid on top of the pan, you cut off the oxygen to the fire and the fire will die.
3. Once this has been done, turn the burner off to remove the heat source.
   Caution: under no circumstances should you attempt to put out a fire in a pan on the stove by using water. Doing so will only increase the intensity of the fire, causing possible injury to yourself or spreading flame to other portions of the room.

Fire in an oven
If a fire starts in the oven, closing the oven door will cut off the oxygen in most cases and smother the fire. Turn off the oven to remove the heat source and keep the oven door closed.

Fire extinguishers
(A vital element to be utilized in the kitchen.) If you don't have a lid that fits the pan or if the fire is too intense to get close, you can use a fire extinguisher. Most kitchen fires can be put out quickly if an adequate home fire extinguisher is available and used correctly.

Have the proper fire extinguisher and store it correctly.

It is important to store the fire extinguisher away from the stove so it can be easily available if a fire occurs. Don't hang it over the stove or other potential fire areas. Your home fire extinguisher should be approved for a B-type and C-type fire and weigh no less than five pounds. (B-type fires involve flammable liquids such as grease and C-type fires involve electrical appliances).

Know how to use your fire extinguisher

P - Pull the release pin.
A - Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
S - Squeeze the lever.
S - Sweep from side to side.

Get out
Make sure that everyone is out of the house. Gather everyone out front until the fire department arrives. Remember, once out, stay out!

Phone 911

You should alert the fire department immediately by calling 9-1-1 (or the emergency response phone number in your area, if different).

Common sense rules to remember
Proper clothing: kitchen fires can ignite your clothing when you're working around the stove. Long, frilly, or loose fitting sleeves are likely to come in contact with the hot surface and catch fire. You should always wear short sleeves when working around a hot stove.

Never leave the area unattended while cooking. If you must leave the kitchen for any reason while cooking (i.e. phone, doorbell ringing) shut all elements off, or take an oven mitt with you as a reminder.

Maintenance: regular cleaning of the stove, hood, and vent system is also important.

Don't store cleaning products under the sink, or anywhere that children can reach and ingest them.