Kitchen Fire Safety Tips
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it’s also the most common place for house fires to start. In fact, according to FENZ, around one in four house fires in New Zealand begin in the kitchen. Most of them are preventable.
Whether you’re a gourmet home chef or just making toast, keeping your kitchen fire-safe is essential. Here’s what you can do to reduce risk and what fire safety tools you should have close at hand in your home.
Stay Alert When You Cook
The leading cause of house fires in NZ is unattended cooking. It only takes a few seconds for a pot to boil dry or a pan of oil to ignite. If you need to step away from the stove – even for a moment – always turn it off first.
Alcohol and cooking also don’t mix. Around half of all fatal fires involve alcohol. If you’re having a drink, plan ahead: reheat leftovers, order takeaways, or use the microwave instead of frying on the stove.
Keep Your Kitchen Tidy and Clear
A clean kitchen isn’t just about hygiene – it’s about safety. Grease, oil, and food residue on stovetops and rangehoods can easily catch fire. Make a habit of wiping down your cooktop after every use and cleaning rangehood filters regularly.
Also keep anything flammable, like tea towels, oven mitts, paper towels, and curtains, well away from your stovetop. Don’t let clutter build up near the cooking area.
Be Ready for a Fire
Even with the best precautions, accidents can happen. Every kitchen should have a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket within easy reach, and you should know how to use them. Fireco supplies both, and we can walk you through how and when to use each.
A fire blanket is ideal for small fires, especially those involving cooking oil or fat. Pull it from the case, hold it in front of you like a shield, and gently place it over the fire to smother the flames. Never throw water on a burning frying pan, even if you think it could help, the mix of oil and water can cause a fireball.
If a pot or pan catches fire, try to turn off the heat and place a lid or flat object over the top to starve it of oxygen. Do not try to carry it outside, because moving a burning pan can easily lead to serious injury.
Smoke Alarms vs Heat Alarms in the Kitchen
It’s important to know that smoke alarms aren’t suitable for kitchens. Steam, smoke, and even burnt toast can trigger false alarms, but that doesn’t mean you should leave your kitchen unprotected.
The best solution for your kitchen is to install a heat alarm, which activates when the room reaches a certain temperature – a safer way to get early warning of a fire without the nuisance of false alerts.
A Safer Kitchen, A Safer Home
Fire safety in the kitchen comes down to three things: staying alert, staying tidy, and being prepared. Having the right equipment and knowing how to use it could make all the difference.
Need help fireproofing your kitchen? Fireco can supply photoelectric smoke alarms, fire blankets, and fire extinguishers for your home.
Talk to Fireco today and make your kitchen safer, smarter, and ready for anything.
