Press Release: Fire in the Kitchen – Put a Lid on It

The majority of accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen. Property damage could be drastically reduced if people only knew what to do. The Wilton Fire Department suggests the following steps when confronted with a fire in the kitchen.

If the fire is confined to a pan on top of the stove, slide the lid across the pan and leave it there. Do not attempt to move the pan outdoors because you may burn yourself or spread the fire.

• Never throw water or flour on a burning pan. Water will spread the flames and flour will actually explode!
• Do not turn on the exhaust fan over the stove. This could suck the fire inside the walls of your home. If the fire is in your oven, close the door to cut off the fire’s air supply and shut off the heat.
• Install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure it is accessible in the event of a grease or oven fire. When purchasing a fire extinguisher for kitchen use, make sure the extinguisher is rated for Class ABC fires to insure its acceptability for use on kitchen fires.

If the fire is too large to safely cover, or for your fire extinguisher, leave the house immediately and call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s telephone. Trying to fight a fire yourself when it’s to large can cause far more extensive damage and can result in serious, unnecessary injury.

As a preventative action, keep your cooking appliances—including stovetops, burners, oven and broilers—clean. Built-up grease can flare up easily, causing dangerous and damaging fires. Also, keep combustible materials—paper towels, dish towels, paper bags, cookbooks and food packaging—away from the stove or other heat sources. Keep your kitchen fire-safe.