Safety Tips

Cooking appliances, most commonly a stove or range, is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Not surprisingly, they also rank number 1 for fire related injuries in the home. Almost all cooking fires could be prevented if you follow some of these simple safety tips:

• Do not leave your home while food is cooking.
• If you have to walk away from the stove to answer the door, for example, turn the burners on low or preferably off and throw a towel over your shoulder as a reminder that you are cooking.
• Stay alert! You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
• Having a working smoke alarm will help to ensure that in the event that a fire does start, you will have plenty of time to take action.
• If a grease fire should happen to start on the stove, turn the burner off and place a lid or cookie sheet over the burning pan.

Whether you are cooking a big holiday dinner or a late night pizza, using safe cooking practices will help keep you and your family safe.