Tips for preventing kitchen fires

Tuesday evening, I almost had a kitchen fire.

I decided to make sweet potato fries in the oven. Since I only had one sweet potato, I added several small white potatoes.

Things were going well until I was cooking the second pan of oven fries. When I was turning the first set, the smoke alarm went off. So, when it was time to turn the fries in the second pan, I lifted the pan out of the oven.

Big mistake. I’d used the pan I make biscuits on. It doesn’t have sides on two of the edges. I had extra olive oil in the bowl where I coated the potatoes, so I spooned it over the fries.

The fat spilled out of the pan and splashed on the red-hot coils in the oven when I lifted the pan out of the oven. Smoke rolled out. I was scared I was going to have an oven fire or a kitchen fire.

Fortunately, no fire occurred. I was lucky.

Cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires and injuries.

In 2013, there were nearly 10,000 residential fires involving cooking. These incidents resulted in six deaths, 92 injuries, and an estimated $9.8 million in property damage.

Here are tips on how to prevent kitchen fires from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

• Put a lid on a grease fire to smother it, and then turn off the heat. Baking soda will also work.

• Never move a burning pan. You can be badly burned and/or spread the fire.

• Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire. Water will only spread the fire and the force of the extinguisher can splash flaming grease out of the pan.

• Stand by your pan. Don't leave food, grease, or oils cooking on the stovetop unattended.

• Wear short- or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking. Loose fitting clothing can easily catch fire.

• STOP, DROP, and ROLL to put out the flames if your clothing catches fire. Put burns in cool running water. Call 911 for help.

• Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent accidental spills of hot contents.

• Create a three-foot "child-free zone" around the stove. Keep children and pets away from the stove while cooking to prevent burns and scalds.

So, remember these safety tips when you’re cooking. Having a kitchen fire or burning down your house would be a tragedy.

<div style="width: 100%; margin: auto; text-align: center;">Copyright 2016, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist</div>

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