12 Days of Holiday Safety Tips, Day 6 Cooking Safety

12/6/2020 (Permalink)

If a fire from cooking causes property damage in your home, call us 916-933-3890. Happy Holidays from SERVPRO of El Dorado Hills/Placerville!

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and injury. There is a spike during the holidays due to the increase in cooking. Make sure that you never leave your cooking unattended and that you do not leave children unattended near a stove or oven! SERVPRO of El Dorado Hills/Placerville wants to prevent home fires, so follow these tips when you are cooking!

• Never Leave Your Cooktop Unattended

Both electric and gas stovetops can easily cause fires if you do not watch them carefully. If you do need to leave the kitchen for any reason, make sure you switch the burners off before you do so. 

• Never Store Combustible Items Near Your Cooktop

It is important that you keep surfaces near your cooktop free of clutter. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop, mitts, utensils, food packaging, towels, etc.

• Install Smoke Alarms

Be sure that your smoke alarms are working properly and that you have a fire extinguisher nearby. Replace all batteries at least once a year if your smoke alarm requires it.

• Small Fire on Stovetop

If a small fire arises on the stovetop, smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop

• Never Store Anything in Your Oven

For an oven fire, keep the door shut and turn off heat. Always make sure appliances are turned off.

Remember to cook with caution. No matter the size of the kitchen fire, it can be overwhelming. If you do not feel comfortable with fighting a small cooktop fire, exit the house and call 911. SERVPRO of El Dorado Hills/Placerville is open 24/7. If you experience a kitchen fire, we can help cleanup whether it be smoke, soot, or fire damage.