Unattended cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries
Nashville, TN – The State Fire Marshal’s Office is urging cooks across Tennessee to practice good safety habits in the kitchen during the hectic holiday season.
Unattended cooking ranks as the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home-fire injuries and can take a devastating toll. During 2009-2013, Tennessee fire departments reported 9,847 residential structure fires involving cooking equipment. These fires resulted in 33 civilian deaths, 249 civilian injuries, and $37.6 million in direct property damage.
“As everyone gets busier, we often become rushed, distracted or tired,” said Gary West, deputy commissioner of the Fire Prevention Division, Department of Commerce and Insurance. “Home fires are more likely to occur, especially those in the kitchen, when people are tired or distracted.”
Fortunately, added awareness and following some simple rules of thumb can help the season remain festive and safe for everyone.
Most cooking fires involve the stovetop, so keep anything that can catch fire away from it. Turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time. And if you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office also suggests creating a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food and drinks are prepared or carried.
Keep these safety tips in mind as you prepare your holiday meal this season:
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
- Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains – away from your stovetop.
- Stay in the kitchen while you’re frying, grilling or broiling food. Turn off the stovetop when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time.
- If you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
- Create a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food and drinks are prepared or carried.
- If you have a cooking fire, just get out. When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately.
- If you do try to fight the fire with an extinguisher, be sure others are getting out and that you have access to an exit.
- Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Slide the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
As always, be sure to have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home. Test them monthly and keep them equipped with fresh batteries at all times.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office has distributed more than 68,000 smoke alarms throughout the state in two years’ time through our “Get Alarmed Tennessee” program. So far, that has resulted in 71 lives being saved.
For more information, visit our website at http://www.tn.gov/fire
About the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
The Department of Commerce and Insurance is a diverse entity of six divisions charged with protecting the interests of consumers while providing fair, efficient oversight and a level field of competition for a broad array of industries and professionals doing business in Tennessee.
Our divisions include the Division of Consumer Affairs, the Division of Insurance, the Division of Securities, the Division of TennCare Oversight, the Division of Fire Prevention, and the Division of Regulatory Boards.
