How To Avoid Fire In The Kitchen
The two leading causes of home fires are cooking equipment and heating equipments. Most of these fires are not caused by the equipment. They are actually results of people making safety mistakes while using that equipment. So, for better fire protection, check on the list below:
1. Sleepers, awake
If you are in the habit of cooking up a little midnight snack, that nosh could cost you dearly. One of the most lethal mistakes is when a person gets up in the middle of the night, turns on the stove, and then falls back to sleep. If you are heating something up, do not get too comfortable while you are waiting. Chances are, you will drift away and fall asleep.
2. Put a lid on it
Using a fire extinguisher is not the best way to stop a fire in a pan. Have a lid nearby that fits the pan you are using or another pan or lid that could slide over the top of the pan you are using. And always use a sturdy, fire-resistant oven mitt that protects your entire forearm.
If you have a fire in the pan, put on the oven mitt to slide the lid over the top of the pan - coming at it from the side. When the lid is on, turn off the burner. Leave the lid in place until the pan is completely cooled. Though you may be tempted to peek, that simply introduces more oxygen, which can cause the fire to flare up again.
Never throw away burning oil in the pan. This can be very dangerous and may trigger more serious problems.
The mitt and lid is safer than a fire extinguisher because the fire extinguisher is meant to be used 8 to 10 feet away from a fire. Often, you cannot get that far from the stove, and if you use it up close, the pressurized spray could actually spread the fire. You could actually shoot the burning contents of the pan around the kitchen.
3. Heed the hot spots
Be careful with auxiliary heating equipment. With heating equipment, the biggest problem is the way people use auxiliary heaters like portable and space heaters, either electric or kerosene, and wood stoves and fireplaces. No matter what the source of extra heat, you still need to take precautions. Make sure to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heating equipment. Do not pull your chair up to a space heater or pile Sunday newspapers next to the fireplace.
Of course, you never want to leave an auxiliary heater on when you are out of the house, and it is also dangerous to have an auxiliary heater turned on while you are asleep.
4. Attend to the butts
When you want smoke in the kitchen, make sure it is from the food you are cooking. Never leave cigarette butts left unattended in the kitchen area.
Make sure that the smokers in your household have access to deep, sturdy ashtrays. The leading cause of home fire deaths is lighted tobacco products. Any cigarette that is perched on the edge of an ashtray can easily fall out. Experts advise smokers to pour water in used ashtrays to make sure that nothing is smoldering in there, or flush the contents of ashtrays down the toilet. If you had a party or people over to your house and there was smoking, before you go to bed search behind and under the cushions of furniture to make sure that there are no smoldering cigarettes.
This also applies to burning coals used in barbecue activities. Make sure that you have poured water in the grills to ensure that the fire is really put out.
5. Celebrate with a detector check
Check smoke detector batteries at least once a year. But how do you remember when you last checked the detector? Do it when the time changes in the spring or fall. Or choose a family members birthday.
Remember, keeping fire away from your kitchen and your home will ensure your familys safety all-year long.
Jo is a writer for Benchmark Interiors (http://www.benchmarkinteriors.co.uk), a UK kitchen furniture manufacturer that concentrates in bespoke handmade kitchens, bedroom and home office furniture development and fabrication. If you are keen on creating bespoke kitchens and would like it to be composed of pure wood then you should take a look at Benchmark Interiors.
