Top Tips: Kitchen

The kitchen is where flammable materials - such as grease and cooking oils - are most likely to come into contact with a source of high heat - such as the stove burner or oven element.

Cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Kitchen fires are often fast-spreading and very destructive. Knowing how to prevent them is the first step in being safe, but accidents do happen, so it is just as important to know what to do if a kitchen fire starts.

Use these tips and directions to stay as safe as possible in your kitchen.

Arm Yourself Properly in the Kitchen

• Install a Photoelectric smoke alarm, which detects the type of slow, smoldering fire that often starts in the kitchen. To cut down on the number of nuisance alarms caused by burnt toast and cooking, ensure that your smoke alarm has a “Hush” button that allows you to temporarily silence an alarm while keeping your family safe if a real fire breaks out.
  
  
• NEVER remove the batteries from a smoke alarm, or take it off the ceiling, to silence a nuisance alarm. 
  
  
• Equip your kitchen with a BC-rated fire extinguisher within reach in case of fire.

Tips to Prevent Kitchen Fires

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Do not leave the room unless absolutely necessary, and NEVER leave your home while food is on the stove or in the oven or microwave.
  
  
• Keep the stove and surrounding area clear. Dish towels, pot holders, curtains and aprons can catch fire easily, so keep them away from the stove at all times. Keep this area clear to prevent accidents.
  
  
• Turn pot handles towards the centre of the stove. The kitchen is a busy area, and a pot handle turned out can easily be bumped by an adult or accidentally pulled down by a child.
  
  
• Never wear loose clothing while cooking. Roll up your sleeves or choose short or tight-fitting sleeves.
  
  
• Always heat oil slowly over moderate heat. High heat and oil are a dangerous combination!
  
  
• Turn all stove and oven elements and other cooking devices off as soon as you have finished with them including kettles, deep fryers and toasters.

What to do in case of a Kitchen Fire

• Never pour water on a grease or oil fire. Water causes grease fires to spread. Keep a BC-rated fire extinguisher in your kitchen, and use it to extinguish kitchen fires if they are small and contained.
  
  
• Smother a flaming pot. If a pot catches fire, put on a pot mitt and carefully slide a lid over the pot to smother the flames, then turn off the stove. Ideally, move the pot on top of an element that is cold.
  
  
• Contain fires in ovens and microwaves. If a fire starts in the oven or microwave, close the door immediately and keep it closed. Turn the oven or microwave off immediately, and unplug the microwave if it is safe to do so.
  
  
• If you are unsure that you can handle the fire safely, call 911 immediately and evacuate your house.