7 Ways You Can Prevent a Kitchen Fire

Given our culture’s obsession with multitasking, it can be hard for time-crunched families to focus on doing one thing at a time. So walking the dog while the ziti is heating up in the oven makes sense, right? Before you grab your house keys and Bailey’s leash on your way out the door, consider this:

Cooking fires are the No. 1 cause of house fires, and these house fires – in 2004 alone – resulted in 3,190 deaths, 13,300 injuries and $5.8 billion in property damage.

The biggest cause of kitchen fires? An unattended stove. So hang out in your kitchen while you cook. Instead of tackling an errand away from home, you could get a head start on washing the dishes. Walking (or driving) off is just not worth the risk.

Here are a few other ways to avoid a fire while you cook:

• Don’t set your groceries – or anything – on the stove. Even though it can act as extra counter space, your stovetop should stay clear. After unpacking your food from the market, you might not notice the plastic grocery bag or macaroni box too close to the burners as you switch gears to prepare dinner.
  
  
• Set a timer. Whenever you light a burner or the oven, set a kitchen timer to go off in case you are distracted and forget.
  
  
• Keep kids and pets 3 feet away from the stove. And use the back burners when you can to keep pans from getting knocked off by the wee ones. If you use the front burners, keep the handles turned inward.
  
  
• Keep your oven and stovetop clean. As grease and food residue builds up, it can catch fire from the heating elements. So wipe up the juice from your last apple crisp or the mozzarella from your last pizza before you preheat the oven again.
  
  
• Think safety. Buy an ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher and put it within grabbing distance of the stove. (In a pinch, you can use baking soda.) And install a smoke detector near the kitchen. According to the American Red Cross, it will reduce your chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.
  
  
• Cook smart. When you cook, use the correct size pot for what you’re making to avoid food boiling over onto the stove, use the appropriate size burner for your pan and heat cooking oil slowly over moderate heat while you supervise.
  
  
• Never use the oven or stove range to heat your home. A gas oven could cause carbon monoxide poisoning, and a forgotten electric oven can overheat and cause a fire.
  
  Find out what to do before, during and after a fire from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. This governmental group also offers information on how to teach children as young as 3 a home fire escape plan.