HealthWise Living

Posted By Brenda on November 1, 2007

Let’s make our metabolisms burn, not our homes!

The seriousness of the recent fires in Southern California should make us pause to reassess the fire safety in our homes, especially the kitchen.
So let’s start there: in the kitchen. Careless cooking is the number one cause of residential fires. Never leave cooking unattended. That’s NEVER. Even for ‘a second’.* It’s wise to have a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Keep it 10 feet away from the stove on the exit side of the kitchen.
* Never pour water on a grease fire; turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid, or close the oven door. (Or, following the video, use a wet dishcloth.) I ALWAYS keep the pan lid handy, even if I won’t be using it for cooking.
* Keep pot handles on the stove pointing to the back, and always watch young children in the kitchen.
* Don’t store items on the stove top, as they could catch fire.
* Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition, and turn them off and disconnect them when not in use.
* Don’t overload kitchen electrical outlets and don’t use appliances with frayed or cracked wires.
* Wear tight-fitting clothing when you cook. Here’s why: An electrical coil on the stove reaches a temperature of 800 degrees. A gas flame goes over 1,000 degrees. Your dish towel or pot holder can catch fire at 400 degrees. So can your bathrobe, apron, or loose sleeve.
* Be sure your stove is not located under a window in which curtains are hanging.
* Clean the exhaust hood and duct over the stove regularly. And wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool.
* Operate your microwave only when there is food in it. Next time we’ll cover more information on preventing fires in other locales in your home. I also invite you readers who are Firemen to add any information I may have omitted as a comment below. By Brenda

Category: Body
Tags: Fire, Safety