Yuma, Arizona - According to the National Fire Protection Association, Cooking equipment was the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries, causing 48% of home fires that resulted in 21% of the home fire deaths and 45% of the injuries.
Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires are started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Unattended cooking was a factor in one-third (32%) of reported home cooking fires and half (45%) of the associated deaths. Frying dominates the cooking fire problem.
Yuma regularly sees cooking related fires. Several of these caused significant damage to homes, but even where damage was minimal, they do serve as reminders to “Watch what you Heat” and never leave stove top cooking unattended. As we head into the holiday season, remember that Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
So, never leave things cooking unattended on the stove, keep clutter away from cooking surfaces, wear clothing without loose dangling sleeves, have a “Kid Free Zone” of at least 3 feet from cooking surfaces and always turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent children from grabbing handles and spilling hot stuff onto themselves. For more information about fire and injury prevention classes we offer, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 928-373-4855