Holiday Cooking

The holidays can be busy and hectic at work as well as at home.

With all of the hustle and bustle going on, it is very easy to forget that you placed a pan on the stove to cook. The next thing you know, you are sidetracked with something else going on in the home and you have forgotten about the pan….. until the fire starts and the smoke alarms lets you know what you have forgotten. At this point, you need to react quickly. Some of the more common kitchen fires are described below.

Dry Cooking Fires

The most common type of cooking fire is the dry cooking fire. The water or moisture boils out of the pan and the food left in the pan scorches, producing smoke. The heat may sometimes damage the surrounding area. The smoke may leave a residue and an order.

Grease Fires

Grease fires can occur when oil or greasy types of foods are heated beyond the manufacturer's recommendations and catch fire. A grease fire can do significant damage to your home, and if left unattended, can spread. Open flames can extend to surrounding cabinets or other combustible items. If unnoticed, a grease fire can grow into a major house fire, engulfing the entire kitchen, adjacent rooms or even the attic. This becomes a dangerous, life-threatening fire.

Oven Fires

During an oven fire, the fire is usually contained right in the oven, which is designed for high heat anyway. The oven fire usually suffocates or is easily extinguished. If a fire does break out in your oven, it would be a good idea to keep the door shut, as this will remove the supply of oxygen to the fire and it will eventually go out.

What can you do if there is a kitchen fire?

• In all cases, make sure everyone evacuates the house
• Call 911 and report the fire
• If the fire is still very small, you can use a fire extinguisher to try and put it out. But if the fire gets out of control, get out of the house and wait for firefighters to arrive.

You might be able to extinguish a grease fire on the stove in several different ways. The simplest way is to place a lid on the pan and the fire should suffocate. A large amount of baking soda can also be used to extinguish a grease fire. Once you have the fire extinguished, don't forget to turn off the burner. If the flames are too high, don't risk getting burned. Remember, get out and call 911.

It's not about saving lives; it's about saving your life.