Everything You Need to Know About Kitchen Fire Prevention

While nobody wants their food party to go up in smoke, kitchen fire accidents do not discriminate. You don’t need a commercial-sized range to feel the heat and be a victim of cooking fires. You might have the most costly or cheapest stove or cooktop, but this will not minimize or increase your odds of experiencing kitchen fires. At the end of the day, your practices will still determine your chances.

So let’s talk about how to prevent kitchen fire accidents to protect you from this alarming disaster.

5 Tips to Prevent Kitchen Fires

Cooking is a prominent cause of house fires and fire-related injuries. Whether you’re preparing breakfast, lunch, supper, or a quick snack for your family, practicing safe cooking behaviors and preventive measures can keep you from danger. Below are five essential pointers for preventing kitchen fires to keep your household safe.

1. Unplug appliances that are not in use

Mixers, air fryers, oven toasters, coffee makers, and the like continue to draw electricity when plugged in, even when not switched on. If their wiring is defective, old, or starting to tear apart, a fire may break out, so always unplug appliances when not in use.

2. Set up smoke alarms

Technically, smoke alarms do not really prevent fires, but they are still an essential preventive measure that can save you and your household later. It’s an important device for fire safety and a reliable first line of defense. If your house doesn’t have one, don’t postpone installing one. Regularly check your smoke detector to ensure it works properly, and remember to change its batteries twice a year when you do the same for your wall clock.

Having a smoke alarm in the house can save you money from hiring fire mitigation companies, as it makes you proactive in extinguishing a fire before it becomes big enough to consume your home.

3. Stay in the kitchen when cooking

This might look evident, but the National Fire Protection Association says unattended cooking is among the major causes of kitchen fires. If you need to leave a stove unattended to do something quickly, turn off your cooktop or range and move the cooking pan to a cool burner or surface. Simple forgetfulness and neglect can set your kitchen on fire, so never ever leave your kitchen unattended when you’re cooking.

Otherwise, you’ll need to employ an emergency restoration service to fix the damage caused by cooking fires.

4. Keep your appliances clean

Check for buildup or grease on your counters and kitchen appliances like deep fryers, toaster ovens, electric grills, and toasters. These home appliances may develop a dangerous accumulation of combustible substances after numerous uses, so check these surfaces occasionally. Use a mixture of baking soda and dish soap or oil-based cleaner to eliminate food debris and grease.

5. Keep your kids and pets at a distance

If you have kids, keep them at least three meters away from the stove for their safety. Pets must also be kept away from cooking surfaces so they don’t catch fire or push things to the burners. Wooden utensils, curtains, towels, food boxes, and potholders should also be moved away from the stove to prevent fire accidents.