Every year, kitchen fires account for the vast majority of house fires in the USA. Cooking is a necessary everyday activity for most, so it might be easy to slip into bad habits. Even with home insurance, stopping fires before they start is obviously the preferred option. Here are the top tips to keep in mind to ensure your home and family are safe from kitchen fires.
Prepare Beforehand
You should always have proper safety measures in place before turning on the heat when cooking. These include fire extinguishers, working smoke alarms, and even a damp cloth in case of a pan fire. Always think to yourself: “If a fire starts as I am cooking this dish, how will I put it out?”. A clean kitchen, free of grime and grease, is also an essential preparation to strive for. Additionally, move any unnecessary items off the counter before you cook, ensuring a clean workspace free of clutter.
Besides only preparing the kitchen and tools, make sure to prepare your clothing and hair if necessary. Despite being only 1% of all fires, clothing fires account for a disproportionate 13% of deaths due to their very nature of affecting material on your body. The perfect outfit for safe cooking consists of tight-fitting clothes and no items that can potentially swing or flap into a fire, such as scarves, jewelry, or sleeves.
Keep the Kitchen an Area for Cooking Only
Especially if you have young kids, ensure that there is no horseplay in the kitchen while food is being cooked at a high level of heat. A bump or push in the wrong direction can spill the hot contents of a pot, causing either injuries or fire dangers.
Always Watch Over Your Cooking
When cooking at high temperatures on a stovetop, it is imperative to keep a watchful eye on the pan. Frying oils can get as hot as 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and at those temperatures, stray oil bubbling overtop can quickly lead to fires if something flammable is nearby. By paying attention fully to the cooking process, you should be able to identify any dangerous situations and adjust the heat accordingly. Even when not working with high-temperature oils, setting and forgetting food on a heat source can burn and char them, increasing the fire risk.
Learn To Dispose of Grease Correctly
Grease poured down the drain can solidify into a gooey, sticky mess, clogging up your pipes. Because of that, the recommended way to dispose of grease calls for you to wait for it to cool, pour it inside another disposable container, and place it in the trash. To most, it is common knowledge that hot grease and water do not mix, but it is also important to remember that hot grease and loose garbage inside of a trash can do not mix well either. Take the time to let the oil cool; you won’t have to worry about causing a fire during your cleanup.
Keep Your Kitchen Up to Date
Sometimes, the same hardware you use to cook can be the reason for a fire. Electric ovens and stoves, over time, may degrade, causing sparks and areas of extreme heat. Appliances such as toasters and microwaves can also have issues regarding their wiring. Any visibly damaged or poorly performing devices should be inspected and replaced if necessary. If your kitchen does not have them installed, mainly in the case the house is old, adding GFCI outlets will help to eliminate any potential danger from faulty electronics in the kitchen.
Overall, the best way to be safe in the kitchen is to use common sense. Following all general cooking guidelines and being attentive should prevent the vast majority of issues from occurring. But if you still want some extra peace of mind, reach out to your local insurance broker for more information on protecting your home through obtaining appropriate insurance coverage.
Anderson & Associates Insurance is a full-service insurance brokerage located in Parrish, Florida.
