Office of the State Fire Marshal encourages residents to follow safe
cooking practices
Cooking
fires rank 2nd as cause of home fires
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[April
29, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Office of the
State Fire Marshal is taking the lead in educating Illinois
residents to practice safe cooking habits to prevent home fire
tragedies. Unattended cooking continues to be a top cause of home
fires and injuries since 1990. Since 2011, cooking fires have ranked
second as the cause of home fires, according to the National Fire
Protection Association.
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"While the numbers are decreasing, it continues to be our commitment
to remind residents about the potential dangers of leaving cooking
unattended," said State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis. "With working
parents, more underage children and teens are cooking their own
meals, which could present some dangers if children are not
well-trained to follow basic safety tips." According to statistics
from the National Fire Incident Reporting System, more than 5,200
cooking-related fires were reported in Illinois between 2010 and
2012. Those fires resulted in the death of 40 civilians, 337
injuries and a total dollar loss of close to $78 million.
Statistics gathered from U.S. fire departments by the National
Fire Protection Association revealed that between 2006 and 2010, an
estimated 157,300 home fires linked to cooking were reported
nationwide. Those fires caused an average of 380 deaths, 4,920
injuries and about $794 million in direct property damage.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal recommends the following
safety tips to avoid cooking fires:
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Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking, frying, grilling or
broiling food. If you have to leave the kitchen for a short period
of time, turn off the stove.
-
Remain in the home while simmering, baking, roasting or boiling
food.
-
For a safer cooking time, use a timer if necessary.
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Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop, such
as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains.
To prevent burns, wear short sleeves or tight-fitting clothes while
cooking.
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Keep a lid nearby when you are cooking. This can be used to
smother small grease fires; then turn off the stovetop and leave the
pan covered until it is completely cooled.
In case of a cooking fire:
-
Get out of the house, and stay out.
-
Call 911 or the local emergency number after getting out of the
house.
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For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
For more information about cooking safety, visit
www.sfm.illinois.gov or
www.nfpa.org.
[Text from
Office of the State Fire
Marshal file
received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |