Fire department provides cooking safety tips
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Cooking fires are the No. 1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
Every year hundreds of Americans die, thousands more are injured and roughly $500 million in property damage result from cooking fires. Two thirds of home cooking fires started with ignition of food or other cooking materials, according to the National Fire Prevention Association.
Frying poses the greatest risk of fire. About 90 percent of all kitchen fires are due to unattended cooking, so stay in the kitchen when cooking, and if you must leave, even for a short time,
turn the stove off.
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. In event of a fire in your home while cooking, the base fire department recommends these actions:
- Put a lid on it. The easiest way to extinguish a small pan fire is with a pan lid. Turn off the burner to remove the heat source, and from the side, carefully slide a pan lid over the pan. The lid will smother the fire. Don't move the pan until the fire is com-pletely extinguished and the pan is cool. If you don't have a lid, use a baking sheet or pizza pan.
- Never throw water on a pan fire. Putting water on a grease fire can splatter the fire and make it worse.
- Never use flour to extinguish a fire; flour will explode.
- Don't use baking soda on grease fires; it's not effective.
- Use an ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire if you don't have a lid. For an oven fire, keep the door shut and turn off the heat. Don't open the door -- fresh air will make the fire larger.
- Turn handles of pots and pans in and away from hot burners. Use thick, dry, flame-resistant potholders when handling lids and pans.
- Wear short, close-fitting or tightly-rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto burners and catch fire.
- Keep cooking area clean and clear of combustibles such as potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging.
- When deep frying a turkey, stay in the area at all times and ensure that you have a safe location to cook.
- Don't deep fry turkeys indoors, under overhangs or on a combustible surface.
- Don't overfill the cooking container with oil. Follow instructions on the proper method to fill the cooking container and heat oil only to the recommended cooking temperature.
- Have fire extinguisher and cooking container lid handy. If oil catches fire, put on an oven mitt and cover the cooking container with lid. Shut off the burner and allow the container to cool down.
- Use a fire extinguisher to put out any fire outside the container. Don't stand too close to the container while discharging the fire extinguisher or oil can splatter, spreading fire and causing injuries.
- Never attempt to put out an oil fire with water.
In the event of any fire or emergency, dial 911 immediately. All fires are reportable -- small, large and even extinguished.
For more information, call the fire prevention section of the base fire department, (228)377-3330 or 3333.