Preventing Kitchen Fires In Your Southern Lake Counties Home

2/15/2017 (Permalink)

Forty percent of home fires start in the kitchen.

Preventing Kitchen Fires

The kitchen is the busiest room in the house in many homes. It is where food is made and where families congregate to interact with one another and share meals. It is one of the most hazardous areas in the home when it comes to fires. Forty percent of home fires start in the kitchen. A fire can occur from cooking habits or appliances. Smaller appliances like toasters and microwaves cause fires, as well as the larger items. The easiest way to lower the possibility of a fire in your kitchen is to learn how to prevent them. You should also have a fire remediation company’s information on hand, such as SERVPRO, in the case of an emergency.

Prevention of fire and fire damage comes in many forms. No flammable items, for example, should be within three feet of your stove or oven in your Forest Hills home for prolonged periods of time. Keep pot holders, towels, oven mitts, and paper towels away from heat. Loose clothing while you are working at a stove isn't a good idea. Wipe burners and other surfaces on the stove or inside ovens regularly to clean off food particles, oil and other materials that can catch fire when hot. If you do have an accident in your kitchen with one of these items, our technicians at SERVPRO need to be made aware, so we can clean up the damage and restore your kitchen for you.

Utensils which have aluminum or foil, metal, or other objects which are metal-based need to be kept away from your microwave oven. Do not place paper products in your oven unless the instructions on the product say to do so. Exceptions can include pizza trays made for the oven. When using cooking oil, heating it on medium instead of high is much safer. Don't leave food cooking on the stove, either, as this is unsafe and the food can unexpectedly catch on fire. You should especially never walk away from food cooking in oil.

Replace any kitchen appliances that have damaged or frayed cords, since this raises the risk of short circuits and electrical fires. Ensure that children know the rules of kitchen safety and that they are tall enough to stand over the stove and see the whole area clearly before they can cook. They should also only do so under adult supervision.

In the case of accidents, anyone working in the kitchen needs to learn what kind of fire extinguisher that is required to put out kitchen fires. These dry chemical extinguishers are suitable for putting out regular fires like those involving fluids such as oil. Once the fire is safely out, you can count on SERVPRO to remediate the damages for you. Kitchen safety is crucial, as there are several ways in which fires can start. If a kitchen fire happens in your home, contact SERVPRO of Benton, Jasper, Newton & Southern Lake Counties right away. We walk you through the process of remediation and calm your worries when you give us a call at (219) 779-7577.