More cooking fires are reported on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year, followed by Christmas and Christmas Eve. There are more than 3x as many home cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day, a 250% increase over the daily average. Help protect your family and your home by practicing cooking safety this holiday season.
Holiday Cooking Safety Tips
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires.
- Check food often while cooking. If you are entertaining guests, use a kitchen timer to remind you that the stove or oven is on.
- Wear short, fitted, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
- Keep cooking areas clear. Pot holders, paper towels, wooden utensils, and even cookbooks can be fire hazards if left too close to the stove, oven, or other kitchen appliances.
- Clean cooking surfaces regularly to prevent grease buildup.
- Make sure children and pets stay at least three feet from the oven or stove.
- Test your smoke alarms and never disable them while cooking.
What to do if there is a Fire
- If the fire is on the stove, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the stove. Never try to move the pan to the sink and NEVER pour water on a grease fire.
- If the fire is in the oven or microwave, keep the door closed and turn off the appliance.
- A multipurpose ABC fire extinguisher can also be used on a small cooking fire. An extinguisher should only be used if the fire is not spreading, smoke and heat have not filled the area, and you have a clear escape path.
佳節防火須知
感恩節是一年365天中，消防隊員最忙的日子，平均出動救火的次數比平常出多三倍！
在歲末年終、闔家歡慶的時節，橙縣消防局特別提醒大家要注意預防火災，以免樂極生悲。
廚房爐火的安全要點:
- 烹煮食物時應留在廚房裡，沒人照看的爐火是導致火災的主要原因。
- 如果家裡來了客人，請使用計時器提醒自己檢查廚房未熄的爐火。
- 在廚房煮菜時應穿著短袖，或緊貼手臂及可捲起的長袖衣服。
- 保持廚房檯面清爽，隔熱墊、木湯匙、餐巾紙、食譜如果太靠近火源，都可能起火燃燒。
- 經常清理廚房檯面，以減少因油污引起的火災。
- 避免讓幼兒或寵物太靠近爐火或烤箱，至少維持3呎距離。
- 測試防火煙霧警報器是否有效，切誤在烹煮食物時關上警報器。
廚房著火時該怎麼辦？
- 馬上關掉爐火，並用鍋蓋或盆子抑制火頭繼續延燒，切勿將鍋子移到水槽或水龍頭下，也不要企圖用水來滅火。
- 碰到烤箱或微波爐起火時，立即關上箱門，並拔除電源。
- 廚房裡的小火災如果沒有立即擴散，室內尚未煙霧密佈，並確定有出口可逃時，可以使用多功能的滅火器撲滅火勢。