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 Thanksgiving
is top day for cooking fires
NFPA urges cooks to stand by their
pan to prevent fires
November
16, 2009 - The National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) is calling on cooks across the nation to include
fire safety in their recipes because Thanksgiving
is the leading day for home cooking fires. U.S. firefighters
responded to roughly 1,300 home fires involving cooking
equipment on Thanksgiving in 2007, roughly three times
the daily average of cooking fires, according to NFPA.
"Incorporating fire safety into your holiday preparations
can mean the difference between putting on a fantastic
holiday feast for family and friends or having to
call the fire department to put out a fire," said
NFPA's Vice President of Communications Lorraine Carli.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires. During
2003-2006, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated
average of 150,200 home structure fires involving
cooking equipment per year, according to the newly
released NFPA
report Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment
(PDF, 896 KB). These fires caused
an annual average of 500 civilian deaths, 4,660 civilian
injuries, and $756 million in direct property damage.
Other
key findings from the report on fires during 2003-2006:
- Cooking
equipment was involved in 40 percent of all reported
home fires, 17 percent of home fire deaths, 36 percent
of home civilian injuries, and 12 percent of the
direct property damage resulting from home fires.
- Unattended
cooking was by far the leading contributing factor
in these fires. Something that could catch fire
was too close to the equipment ranked second and
unintentionally turned on or not turned off ranked
third.
- Three-fifths
(57 percent) of reported home cooking fire injuries
occurred when victims tried to fight the fire themselves.
NFPA
recommends the following cooking safety tips:
Cook
with Caution
-
Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed
alcohol, don't use the stove or stovetop.
- Stay
in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or
broiling food.
-
If you leave the kitchen for even a short period
of time, turn off the stove.
-
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling
food, check it regularly, remain in the home while
food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that
you are cooking.
- Keep
anything that can catch fire - oven mitts, wooden
utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains - away
from your stovetop.
If you have a cooking fire….
- Keep
a lid nearby when you're cooking to smother small
grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding 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.
- If
you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting
out and you have a clear way out.
-
When in doubt, just get out! When you leave, close
the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call
9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
NFPA
has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical,
building, and life safety to the public since 1896.
The mission of the international nonprofit organization
is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other
hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating
consensus codes and standards, research, training,
and education.
Article from the National
Fire Protection Association
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