As you are renovating your kitchen or cooking in your kitchen, don’t forget to remember the most important fact of all: your safety and the safety of those around you comes first. Although we love cooking and spending quality time in our kitchens with family and friends, kitchens can be one of the most dangerous areas of the home when it comes to fires. Following some simple kitchen safety tips can help you prevent kitchen fires and ensure that you continue to enjoy your kitchen for years to come.

Kitchen Safety Tips: Preventing Kitchen Fires and Taking Proper Action

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires, and stovetops and ranges are most often the sources of these fires.

To ensure your safety and the safety of your loved ones, following are some kitchen safety tips that you should keep in mind.

1. Turn off appliances when they’re not in use.
2. Do not place anything on the stove that is not supposed to be there. Make sure curtains, towels, plates, or other items are not on the stovetop or too close to it.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure it is easily accessible but not near foods or drinks.
4. Keep a lid near you when you’re cooking that can be used to smother small grease fires.
5. Purchase a kitchen fire blanket that you can use to extinguish small fires before they spread. (It would be wise to keep standard fire blankets in other areas of the home as well, such as the garage, basement, office, and any other rooms where you may have electronics, tools, or other dangerous equipment.)
6. If your clothes catch fire while you are cooking, remember what you learned in kindergarten: stop, drop, and roll.
7. Make sure you turn off everything when you’re done cooking, including the stovetop, oven, and appliances.
8. Keep your stovetop, oven, and the fan clean by removing grease, dirt, and food particles.
9. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.
10. If you have young children in the home, be sure to childproof your kitchen, especially the oven and stove knobs.

Practice Fire Safety

Home fires sometimes happen despite our greatest efforts to prevent them. You should be prepared in case they do.

• Keep fire extinguishers handy and make sure everyone in the family knows how to use them.
• Install smoke alarms near the kitchen, near the bedrooms, and in other areas of the home as required by your local Arizona fire department or building department. Check the batteries regularly and replace them twice a year.
• Prepare and practice a thorough evacuation plan, which should include escape routes and a meeting point outside of the home to ensure that everyone is accounted for. Contact your local Phoenix area fire department for additional guidance.
• Teach young children about fire safety and how to call 911 if necessary.