Yuma News Now

Yuma, Arizona - Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Just last week the Yuma Fire Department responded to three separate fire calls that involved cooking. Every year hundreds of Americans die, thousands more are injured, and roughly half a billion dollars in property damage results from cooking fires. Unattended cooking is a major reason these fires occur.

A reason for one of last week’s fire responses was when a pan with a loaf of bread was stored inside an oven, and the oven was turned on. Older children in the home were going to make muffins, and did not check the oven for storage prior to preheating it. One great way to avoid these types of fires is to never store anything inside of your oven. It is easy to forget down the road when you go to bake something, or if someone else goes to bake something.

Always assist older children in the kitchen, and supervise their activities. If you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting rood, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you the stove or oven is on. Even boiling water can lead to a fire if left unattended and the water boils away.

Have a kid free zone at least 3 feet around the stove/oven. Keep handles turned in so small children won’t pull on them, dumping hot food, oil, or water on top of them. If your stove has knobs that children can reach, get safety covers for them.

Always stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen, for even a short time, turn off the stove. Be mindful of unexpected distractions (phone calls, visitors, etc.) that take your attention away from your cooking.

The Yuma Fire Department wants your family to follow this recipe for safety! Stop kitchen fires before they start!