[ Smoke Detectors ] [ Fire Escape Plans ] [ Change Your Batteries ] [ Get Out of Our Way ] [ Kitchen Fires ] [ Reporting a Fire ] [ Holiday Safety  ]

A majority of accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen. Property damage could be drastically reduced if people only knew what to do when confronted with a kitchen fire.

The Bath Volunteer 

Fire Department  

suggests the following steps when confronted with a fire in your kitchen.

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

    ·       Never throw water or flour on a burning pan.  Water will only spread the flames and flour will actually explode!

    ·       Do not turn on the exhaust fan over the stove.  This will only suck the fire into the walls of your home. 

·       If the fire is in the oven turn off the heat and leave the door closed to cut off the fires air supply.

·       Install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.  Make sure it is easily accessible in the event of a grease or oven fire.  When purchasing a fire extinguisher for the kitchen make sure it has an ABC class rating.

·       Notify the fire department before trying to extinguish any fire in your home.  If you are unsuccessful at extinguishing the fire the fire department will already be enroute.

·       Never try yourself to fight a fire that is too large.  Trying to fight

   a fire that is too large can cause far more extensive damage and can result in serious, unnecessary injuries.

·       Keep combustible materials such as paper towels, dishtowels, food packaging and cookbooks-away from the stove or other heat source.  

·       Turn pot and panhandles to the center of the stove to keep small children from reaching up and pulling hot liquids off the stove onto themselves.