Prevent Kitchen Fires - Fire Prevention Week

It's time for Fire Prevention Week, and from October 6-12, Quinlan Security Systems and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires. According to the NFPA latest research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two out of every 5 fires begin in the kitchen.

Among the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates will be emphasizing:

• 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 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.
• The NFPA recommends that you REPLACE all smoke alarms when they are 10 tears old.