Here is a message from the Virginia Beach Fire Department:
This year, Fire Prevention Week is from October 6 – 12. The theme is, “Prevent Kitchen Fires!”
Cooking equipment is involved in roughly 150,000 home fires per year, and many of those fires start because people aren’t paying attention. And while a few minutes may not seem like much time to be away from what’s cooking, that’s all it takes to start a fire that could destroy your home and harm your family.
By teaching kids about fire safety, we can make sure that they know just what to do in the event of a home fire.
By following these safety tips we can all help make your families a little safer while cooking in the kitchen.
• Always stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.
• If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove.
• Keep combustibles such as dish towels, curtains or paper at least three feet away from the stove.
• Turn all pot handles inward towards the back of the stove to avoid being knocked off accidently.
• Create a three foot “kid-free zone” around the stove when cooking.
• If something in the oven catches fire, simply turn it off and keep the door shut until the fire is out.
• Should a microwave fire occur, shut off the power and leave the door closed until the fire is out.
• Open any container slowly after being removed from a microwave as hot steam may escape.
• If a fire does occur, part of your emergency plan should be to evacuate the house and call 911.
• Ensure your family has drawn and practiced your home escape plan with a central meeting place.
