Safety tips
Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking. Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you have a cooking fire
Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9–1–1 or the local emergency number after you leave. If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled. For an oven fire turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment
In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to 146,400 home structure fires that involved cooking equipment. These fires caused 480 civilian fire deaths, 4,690 civilian fire injuries and $876 million in direct property damage.
● Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries.
● Ranges accounted for the largest share (67%) of home cooking fire incidents in 2005. Ovens accounted for 19%.
● Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.
● In 2002–2005, unattended cooking equipment was the leading factor contributing to home cooking fires (38%), deaths (45%), injuries (46%) and direct property damage (37%).
● Twelve percent of the fires occurred when something that could catch fire was too close to the equipment.
● Three-fifths (59%) of reported home cooking fire injuries occurred when victims tried to fight the fire themselves.
● In a 1999 study of range fires by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 83% of frying fires began in the first 15 minutes of cooking.
● Only 1% of cooking fires began with clothing but these clothing fires caused 12% of the cooking fire deaths.
● One out of every five cooking fires that began with clothing resulted in a death.
● In 2006, hospital emergency rooms treated around 29,850 thermal burns and 8,460 burns caused by cooking equipment. Ranges accounted for 62% of these thermal burns and grills 28%. Microwaves accounted for 41% of the scald burns.
