Fire Prevention Week to Focus on Cooking Safety

In 2005, there were 317 cooking-related home fires leading to 35 burn injuries and an estimated $1.7 million in property loss.

Photo courtesy: Canby Fire

(SALEM) - Next week is National Fire Prevention Week. Oregon State Fire Marshal Nancy Orr reminds Oregonians cooking-related fires are preventable.

Oregon's Life Safety Team and the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) are supporting fire departments statewide with materials designed to raise awareness on preventing cooking-related fires and how to safely extinguish them, if they occur.

"Keep a watchful eye on what you cook," advises Orr. "Most kitchen fires begin when cooking food is left unattended. It's amazing how quickly a cooking fire can cause burns or destroy your home."

Fire prevention week is a good time to make new cooking safety habits including:

• Keep a close eye on what you're cooking – never leave cooking food unattended.

• Keep your cooking area clean, including the stovetop, oven and exhaust fan.

• Keep dishtowels and potholders away from the burners on the stove.

• Watch your sleeves – loose sleeves over hot stove burners can melt, ignite or catch on the handles of pots and pans.

• Cooking oil can ignite quickly. Heat oil slowly and watch it closely.

• Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Keep in an easy to reach location and know how to use it.

Fire Prevention Week is observed nationally each year in observation of the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire known for killing 250 people and destroying a large part of the city on October 9th, 1871.

More information on Oregon cooking fire statistics is available at: http://www.oregon.gov/OOHS/SFM/Home_Fire_Safety_Campaign.shtml