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Fire Safety

Cooking Safety

  1. SMOTHER A GREASE FIRE.  
    Never put water on a cooking fire! If a pan containing food catches fire, slide a lid over the pan, then turn the burner off. If a fire starts in the oven, close the oven door and turn off the heat. If the flames do not go out immediately, call 9-1-1 and ask for "Fire".
 Covering a Grease Fire

  1. DON'T LEAVE COOKING UNATTENDED.
    The first step to safe cooking is to stay in the kitchen whenever something is cooking. Also, turn off appliances promptly when you finish using them. Coffee pots, toaster ovens and other appliances can overheat if you leave them on, causing a fire. Always, unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use.

  2. KEEP APPLIANCES CLEAN.
    Built-up grease catches fire easily. Clean ovens, stoves and other appliances regularly.

  3. WEAR CLOSE-FITTING SLEEVES WHEN COOKING.

    Loose sleeves can catch fire when they dangle near hot burners. Protect yourself by wearing sleeves that fit snugly. For added safety, don't store things over the stove where you must reach over hot burners to get them.

  4. KEEP FLAMMABLE OBJECTS CLEAR OF THE STOVE. 
    Pot holders, dish towels, blowing curtains... if any of these come too close to a burner, a fire can start. Keep them all a safe distance from your stove.

  5. HEAT OIL SLOWLY.  
    Keep careful watch while you heat cooking oil. A fire can easily start if you set the burner too "high" and then leave the pan of oil unattended.

  6. PREVENT BURNS BY TURNING POT HANDLES IN.
    A pot handle over the edge of your stove can be bumped in passing, or grabbed by a child, causing serious burns. Turn pot handles in for safety.

  7. WATCH OUT FOR MICROWAVE BURNS.  
    Microwave ovens stay cool, but what's in them can be very hot. Use a pot holder when removing food from a microwave! Remove lids with caution to prevent steam burns, and test the temperature of food before eating it.

    Close the door on microwave fires. If anything catches fire in your microwave, opening the door will provide oxygen to the fire. Leave the door shut and turn the microwave off.

    Microwaves tend to heat unevenly. Never put foil or other metals in a microwave.