Use caution in the kitchen; easy safety tips to help prevent cooking fires
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.
 

[November 25, 2015]  PEORIA - The American Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters a year-one every eight minutes – and most are home fires. Last year, the American Red Cross Central and Southern Illinois Region responded to 936 home fires and assisted more than 1,150 families. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Red Cross encourages families to prevent kitchen fires by taking some basic safety measures.

“Thanksgiving is the peak day for kitchen fires, and most of those are caused by unattended cooking,” said Betsy Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Illinois Region. “The good news is that home fires can be prevented by following some simple, safety tips.”

Tips to avoid cooking fires include:

Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

Keep young children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.

Move items that can burn away from the stove such as dishtowels, bags and boxes.

Clean the stove and the area around it before turning on the heat.

Don’t leave food on the stove unattended.

Turn pot handles to the back of the stove to avoid spills.

IF A COOKING FIRE OCCURS

If a pan catches fire, don’t move it. Slide a pan lid or cookie sheet on top of the pan to put out the fire. Turn off the heat. Keep the lid on the pan until it cools. Never try to stop a grease or oil fire with water – it will fuel the fire.

If something catches fire in the oven, keep the door closed. Call 9-1-1 so firefighters can make sure the fire didn’t spread to the walls.

If a fire occurs in the microwave, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave if you can. Don’t use it again until a repairman checks it.

If the kitchen catches fire, make sure everyone gets out and call 9-1-1 when outside. Once outside, stay out. Never go back inside a burning building.

People can learn how to help prevent a home fire and what to do if one occurs by downloading the Red Cross Emergency App.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN

Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a fire. The Red Cross has been working to reduce that number through its Home Fire Campaign, credited in its first year with saving several lives and protecting thousands of others by installing new smoke alarms in their homes.

The Home Fire Campaign is a multi-year effort to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. Working with fire departments and community groups across the country, the Red Cross and its partners have installed more than 125,000 smoke alarms in homes across all 50 states.

The Red Cross also is asking every household in America to take the two simple steps that can save lives: checking their existing smoke alarms and practicing fire drills at home.

WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO

People can visit redcross.org/homefires to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved homes from fire. To find the location of smoke alarm installation events or to become a volunteer, contact [e-mail].

People can help by donating to Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. We respond to nearly 70,000 other disasters every year, from home fires to wildfires and more. Learn more about how Disaster Relief donations have helped people affected by previous disasters including home fires.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

[Trish Burnett, Regional Communications Director, American Red Cross]