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Cooking at Home: How to Stay Safe and Prevent Kitchen Fires

3 min read

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries. US fire departments responded to an average of 172,900 home fires each year from 2014 to 2018, according to the NFPA. Consider these tips as to stay safe while cooking up a storm.

NFPA statistics for 2014 – 2018 show that:

  • Kitchen fires caused an average of 2,200 deaths and 19,280 injuries
  • Cooking fires resulted in $4 billion in property damage
  • Peak times for kitchen fires are Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
  • 8% of home cooking-fire deaths were caused by clothing catching on fire
  • 61% of reported home cooking fires start on the stove top as opposed to the oven
  • Electric ranges have a higher chance of igniting than gas ranges
  • More than half of non-fatal injuries occurred when people tried to control the fire themselves

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, many of us are spending a lot more time at home and cooking more frequently these days. So, it follows that kitchen fires and their related injuries are on the rise too. However, by taking some simple precautions and using common sense, meal-time prep disasters can be avoided.

Do

Don't

Hopefully by following these tips, you’ll stay safe while cooking up a storm. But if you do have a cooking fire — just get out! Then call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number from safety. If you try to contain the fire yourself first, make sure everyone else in the household leaves and that you have a clear escape route in case you can’t get the fire under control.

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