Stay safe while cooking in the kitchen

Stay safe while cooking in the kitchen

Kawartha Lakes – Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service is reminding residents to practice safety in the kitchen while cooking. Over the past week, Fire Rescue responded to two separate stove top fires, both resulting in injuries.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, and they can be prevented. Always keep in mind:

• Watch what you are cooking, because fires start when the heat is too high
• If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off
• Wear short sleeves or roll them up when you are cooking so they do not catch on fire
• Make sure children and pets stay at least one metre (3 feet) away from a hot stove
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them or pull them over
• Keep an eye on what you fry, as most cooking fires start when someone is frying food
• Move things that can burn away from the stove, including dish towels, bags, boxes, paper and curtains

Be prepared if a pot catches fire.

Keep the proper-fitting pot lid nearby so that if the pot or pan catches fire, you can carefully slide the lid on it and turn off the stove. Leave the pot or pan on the stove, and then wait until the pot cools down before removing the pot or lid.

People have experienced house fires because their first reaction is to rush the pot to the sink or get the pot outside as fast as possible. Leave the pot or pan on the stove until it is cool. When in doubt, get out, close the door behind you and call 9-1-1 from outside the house.

For more tips, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website. To learn more about the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue and firework safety, visit our website.

For more information, contact:

Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue
705-324-5731
fireprevention@kawarthalakes.ca
kawarthalakes.ca/fire
@KLfirerescue

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