- Fire prevention resources for America’s career and volunteer Fire Service.
- Coloring pages, puzzles and games that teach kids how to stay safe from fire.
- Resources to help get fire prevention messages into news stories.
Cooking Fire Safety
Recipe for Safer Cooking: Follow these tips to protect you and your family when in the kitchen. Whether stirring up a quick dinner or creating a masterpiece four-course meal, here’s a recipe for safer cooking you need to use daily.
To Prevent a Cooking Fire in Your Kitchen
- Keep an eye on your cooking and stay in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires.
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves. Loose clothing can catch fire.
- Watch children closely. When old enough, teach children to cook safely.
- Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
- Keep curtains, towels and pot holders away from hot surfaces and store solvents and flammable cleaners away from heat sources. Never keep gasoline in the house.
- Turn pan handles inward to prevent food spills.
To Put Out a Cooking Fire in Your Kitchen
- Call the fire department immediately. In many cases, dialing 911 will give you Emergency Services.
- Slide a pan lid over flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan outside.
- Extinguish other food fires with baking soda. Never use water or flour on cooking fires.
- Keep the oven door shut and turn off the heat to smother an oven or broiler fire.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure you have the right type and training.
- Keep a working smoke alarm in your home and test in monthly.
