Submitted. During Fire Prevention Week from October 6-12, the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service is joining forces with fire departments across North America to remind local residents to “Prevent Kitchen Fires”.
During this year’s fire safety campaign, fire departments will be educating the public on the dangers of kitchen fires–most of which result from unattended cooking—and teaching residents how to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place.
According to the latest research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire- related injuries.
“Often when we’re called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents tell us that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said Fire Chief Don Beer. “Sadly, that’s all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.”
Here are some of the safety tips for residents to remember while cooking:
– Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.
– If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
– When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.
– If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least one metre away from the stove.
– When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
– Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.
– Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.
– Keep the pot lid handy, it is your most effective extinguisher.
Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record which was first proclaimed in 1925 by United States, President Calvin Coolidge.
In addition to sending out fire safety messages, the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service will be hosting Family Night Open Houses at all 8 fire halls on Wednesday, October 9th from 6 – 8 pm.