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Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. Keep a pan lid or a cookie sheet nearby.Carefully remove the pan from the burner. When frying food, turn the burner off if you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil.Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.Keep and pets at least three feet away.This includes dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper and curtains.
Move items that can burn away from the stove. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove. Here are the top eight ways to avoid a cooking fire: Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.Ĭooking is the leading cause of U.S. Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet. To create your home fire escape plan, include at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Also, check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. Change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it. Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, and inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by these tragedies.Įvery second counts when there’s a home fire. Since January 1, the American Red Cross has responded to more than 20,700 home fires, providing help to almost 78,000 people.
So far this year 847 people have lost their lives in home fires across the country. Tragically, seven lives are lost each day in the U.S. Did you know home fires are the most common disaster in this country and are so dangerous that they claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined.