Local firefighters are looking to educate the public on cooking safety during Fire Prevention Week Oct. 8-14.
Fire departments in Stratford, St. Marys, Perth East and West Perth are working to educate the public around cooking safety during Fire Prevention Week Oct. 8-14.
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Under the theme, “Cooking safety starts with you,” local firefighters are promoting the little things residents can do to prevent a small mistake or oversight in the kitchen from turning into a disaster.
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“We’ve seen a transition over the last number of years that cooking fires are actually the leading cause of fires within homes and fire injuries,” said Stratford fire inspector Andrew Rogerson. “We need to really make sure that we can emphasize the importance of paying attention while you’re cooking to limit those injuries wherever possible. Life is only getting busy, and it’s easy to forget the smallest, little details. When you’re so used to cooking in your home every day, sometimes safety can be forgotten, so we want to encourage people to be attentive when cooking at all times.”
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Simple things such as leaving an electric cooking appliance like an air fryer unattended while plugged in and turned on, walking away while cooking with a pot of hot oil on the stove, using an extension cord that isn’t suitable for kitchen appliances, or even leaving a stove on when the power goes out can all contribute to fires in the kitchen, Rogerson said. Children and pets in the kitchen and impairment by drugs or alcohol while cooking can also result in fire and personal injury.
“There was a kitchen fire a number of years back,” Stratford director of fire prevention Scott Petrie recalled. “They started boiling a pot of oil in their kitchen and it was during an NHL playoff game. They went downstairs to watch the game in their home theater and left the pot boiling and forgot about it. Their alarm went off and then they came up to their stovetop on fire. They were able to get everyone out, but it was because of that non-attendance. It could easily have been prevented with a lid on that pot.”
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In addition to having a working smoke alarm, local firefighters are sharing a number of actions residents can take to prevent cooking fires at home.
- Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking;
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed;
- Have a kid- and pet-free zone of at least one meter (three feet) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried;
- Be alert. Do not operate hot kitchen appliances or cook on the stove if you are sleepy or impaired by alcohol or drugs;
- Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, etc. – away from your stovetop;
- If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire, get out. When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire and call 911.
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Local firefighters are hosting a number of events in Stratford and the surrounding area this week.
- Firefighters will be stationed at a Fire Prevention Week booth at the Stratford Canadian Tire Oct. 10-13 to answer questions from the public and help shoppers find the proper smoke alarms, CO detectors and fire extinguishers;
- The Perth East and West Perth Fire Department will be hosting fire station open houses at the Mitchell station Oct. 10 from 6-8 pm, at the Milverton station Oct. 11 from 6-8 pm, at the Shakespeare station Oct. 12 from 6 -8 pm, and at the Sebringville station Oct. 14 from 10 am to noon. The open houses will feature activities, live fire and car-extraction demonstrations, refreshments, fire safety tips and bingo games with the chance to win a $100 local gift card;
- Firefighters and Sparky will be at Your Independent Grocer in St. Marys from 10 am to 2 pm Oct. 12 handing out swag bags with important fire safety information and other items, and the St. Marys Fire Department will host an open house Oct. 14 from 10 am to 2 pm featuring station tours, fire truck and equipment demonstrations, a new inflatable fire safety house, a fire prevention display, food vendors and more.
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