Fire Safety and Prevention in the Kitchen

5/16/2019 (Permalink)

Make sure to keep towels and other items away from an open flame!

Some say the kitchen is the heart of the home, but it can also be the start of many home fire disasters.  Here are some basic how-to's on how to prevent small kitchen fires from turning into major disasters. 

Stopping Before it Starts: 

• Keep hand towels/ pot holders, shopping bags, aprons, or other flammable objects away from the stovetop.  It’s also good to not wear loose clothing or long sleeves and to tie long hair back.  
• Never leave the kitchen while cooking.  Water and other items boil down faster than you think! 
• Make sure to check old electric grills or other electric appliances for exposed wires.  You are just as much at risk for electrical fires in the kitchen as you are from an open flame.  

I have a fire! What now?   

Small items around your kitchen can help put out small fires before a disaster occurs.   

• If grease and oil catch fire on your stove DO NOT use water to extinguish.  Water only increases the spread of grease fires.  Use baking soda to spread on the small fire until it has been put out.  
• DO NOT use a towel to try and dissipate the flame.  Oxygen and air will only fuel the fire.  Instead, use a pot lid over the flame for a make shift snuffer.  
• Use a class-c fire extinguisher over the affected area. 

These small efforts in the kitchen can help prevent a fire disaster in your home. If you believe a fire is out of your hands, never take a risk and always call the appropriate authorities.   

SERVPRO of West Beaver County will be there when disaster strikes.  Take a look at some of our before and after’s that we have done on fire damage.