Fire Prevention Week starts today – Prevent Kitchen Fires
Fire Prevention Week starts today and runs until October 13th. This year’s theme is how to prevent kitchen fires. Please read the press release from Waterloo Fire Rescue at the bottom of this post. We also found some other great sources to share with your family, like the information sheet designed specifically for kids from the National Fire Protection Association (below). You can also find other family specific resources on their website here and be sure to check out Fire Prevention Canada Website and their Public Service Announcements.
PRESS RELEASE: Waterloo Fire Rescue Services reminds residents to prevent kitchen fires
(Waterloo, Ont. – Sept. 26, 2013) Waterloo Fire Rescue Services is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to prevent kitchen fires – the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, running Oct. 6 – 12, 2013.
During this year’s campaign, firefighters and safety advocates will spread the word about the dangers of kitchen fires – most of which result from unattended cooking – and teach local residents how to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place.
According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries.
“Often when we’re called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents tell us they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said John Percy, public education officer. “Sadly, that’s all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.”
Some of the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates will be emphasizing include:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.
- If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.
- If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.
- When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
- Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.
- Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.
Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. For more information about fire and life safety, visit www.waterloo.ca/fire. For more information: John Percy, Public Education Officer, Waterloo Fire Rescue. Phone: 519-884-6030, ext. 3009, Email: john.percy@waterloo.ca
