Cooking Fires and Safety Tips

Left unchecked, a fire can double in size every 30 seconds.  A waste basket fire can consume a room in five minutes; an entire house can be destroyed within minutes after a fire is discovered.  The good news is that most fires can be prevented with common sense and simple safeguards

One-third of all home fires start in the kitchen.  Cooking, especially when it involves grease, is one of the leading causes of fire in the home.  While kitchen fires seldom kill people, they injure thousands and cause property damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.   

During the upcoming Holidays, when preparing your meals, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District offers these tips on how to prevent cooking fires and how to handle them if they get started:

Pay attention to your cooking.  Keep butter and shortening away from hot burners and open flames.  Don’t overheat grease and watch for grease overflows that can start fires.  If you have to leave the stove for any reason, turn off the heat.

Keep children and pets away from the cooking area by creating a three-foot zone around the stove.  If your children help you cook, make them aware of cooking hazards. 

Turn skillet and hot handles toward the center of the stove to prevent accidental overturning.  Don’t leave towels or napkins on or near the stove.  Don’t wear garments with loose, floppy sleeves while cooking.  Don’t use cleaning solutions or spray near hot burners.

Keep a Class A-B-C fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen.  (An A-B-C rating indicates the fire extinguisher can be used on fires involving grease, paper towels, electrical appliances, and other materials commonly found in the kitchen.)    To operate a fire extinguisher, think PASS – Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep the spray from side to side.  Do not use a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire as it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading fire.  Never use water on a grease fire.  It will spread the fire and increase the chance of it getting out of hand.

Always have the pot lid handy to smother a small grease fire.  Carefully slide the lid over the pan and turn the burner off.  Do not remove the lid until it is completely cool.  Avoid this if the fire is too hot to cover without getting burned.  Don’t try to move or carry a pan in which there is a fire.  Even though moving the pan is a common reaction when a pan fire is discovered, it often results in burns to the carrier and additional fire damage.

If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.

If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave.  Call 9-1-1 and make sure to have the microwave serviced before you use it again.  Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot.  Remove the lid or other microwaved food covering carefully and AWAY from you to prevent steam burns.

Finally, if the fire is too big or has extended beyond its point of origin, don’t try to fight it.  Alert others of the fire, evacuate the premises and call 9-1-1.

Remember; fire safety starts with you.  Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.  If you would like additional information on kitchen fire safety, or any fire prevention program, contact the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District’s Fire Prevention Bureau at (630) 353-3030.