VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The kitchen is the heart of the home, but don’t let it become a case of heartburn, as fire officials say cooking causes half of all reported home fires and is a leading cause of home fire deaths.
Kitchen fires are the number one cause of house fires and injuries. Pair that with a slew of holidays that revolve around cooking — that’s almost asking for trouble.
“Thanksgiving actually gets almost four times the amount of cooking fires as opposed to a regular, average day,” said Virginia Beach Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Goyet said.
Pictures show the destruction after an accidental grease fire Saturday night in Liberty Ridge. You can see the fire made its way up the cabinets and into the ceiling, rendering the entire apartment unlivable. The stove was burnt to a crisp. Officials said folks get distracted easily and make poor decisions.
“We’ve seen people leave their house because they forgot something at the store and needed to go run to the store to get it,” Goyet said. “We see people leave the kitchen to mingle or hangout with family and just forget something was on the burner.”
They like to say “stand by your pan” and don’t leave the cooking unattended. If you’ve got something boiling on low, they suggest setting a timer on your phone so you don’t forget. Another tip—keep your pan lids and baking sheets nearby for when a fire does spark.
“Wear an oven mitt so you’re not putting your bare hands in it, but you just simply get as close as you can and then cover it. You may be able to use another tool like a spatula to put that lid on. If you have a baking sheet that’s larger than the pan, that’s even better.”
Make sure you turn the burner off. And for those who favor frying the turkey — “if there are still ice crystals in that turkey, it can actually cause the oil in the fryer to overflow and potentially catch fire,” Goyet said.
And remember, distance is your friend.
“Don’t do it in your garage, don’t do it in the house, be at least 10 feet away from your house, off of your deck,” he said.
Here are few more tips:
- Clean as you go so you don’t have a buildup of grease
- Turn the handles to your pots and pans inward over the counter so people or children walking by don’t knock them off the stove
- Don’t wear loose, baggy clothing if you’re cooking. Baggy sleeves have the potential of catching fire if you reach across a hot stove