Preventing a Cooking Fire in your Lakewood Club Home

9/21/2021 (Permalink)

This kitchen light fixture was heavily damaged from a grease cooking fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries.  The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.  A tenant in this Lakewood Club home was preparing to cook french fries on the stove.  While heating up the grease a friend stopped by distracting them.  The tenant was outside for a significant amount of time and came back to flames; the grease had gotten so hot that it had caught fire.  The following are a few cooking safety tips from the NFPA:

• Stay alert!  If you are tired or have consumed alcohol, don't use the stove or stovetop.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.  If you leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop, such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, and towels.

If you do have a small grease cooking fire and are confident to fight it yourself, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turn off the burner.  Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

If your home has been affected by a cooking fire call SERVPRO of Muskegon today, 231-733-7601, we are Here to Help®