Kitchen Fire Safety
Cooking fires are major contributors to fire incidents and injuries throughout Tallahassee and the United States. It is important to follow sound fire safety principles to prevent burns and fires in the kitchen.
Kitchen Area
- Create a safe zone in the kitchen. Keep children away from the stove and any hot items (three feet is a good rule). Continuous supervision of children is of prime importance.
- Remove tablecloths and placemats while children are present.
- Children can tug and pull on everything in their reach.
- Keep pot handles turned in. Hot or heavy items can easily be pulled on top of them.
- Never give children pots and pans to play with. Children may reach for a pot or pan when it contains hot liquid or food.
When Cooking!
- Never leave cooking unattended. Never leave cooking unattended. Never leave cooking unattended. Get the point.
- Dress right: Do not wear loose clothing. Roll up your sleeves to keep from catching your shirt on fire or touching hot liquids.
- Turn pot handles in to avoid bumping the pot and spilling the hot contents.
- Do not cook if you are sleepy, you've been drinking, or are on medication that makes you drowsy.
Keep Combustibles Away
- After cooking, clear the stove off. Remove all pots, potholders, towels, and other combustibles off the stove.
- Wipe up any spills. Grease can catch fire.
- Keep all combustibles at least three feet away from the stove.
Appliances
- Only appliances that are labeled such as Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) testing label should be used.
- Keep appliance cords away from the edge of counter tops or tables. Children may pull them down and injure themselves.
- Do not overload electrical circuits and unplug them when not in use.
- Have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) installed on kitchen counter outlets.
- Replace frayed and cracked electrical cords.
If A Fire Occurs…
- Grease fires - smother the fire by carefully sliding a lid over the pan, turn the burner off. Hold lid firmly to prevent a flare-up until the pan cools. Never use water or attempt to carry the pan to the sink or outdoors. A fire extinguisher will work but should only be used if you've had prior training in the use of an extinguisher.
- Oven fires - Close the door to the oven removing the air, and turn off the oven.
- Microwave fires - Keep the door closed to the microwave oven and unplug. Do not use until someone services the microwave oven to ensure proper operation.
- Always call the fire department if you have a fire.