Yuma, Arizona - According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Cooking equipment is 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 of every five home fires started in the kitchen.
- Unattended cooking was the most frequent cause (31%).
- Two-thirds of home cooking fires started with ignition of food or other cooking materials.
- Microwave ovens are one of the leading home products associated with scald burn injuries not related to fires.
- More than half of all civilians injured in cooking fires were hurt attempting to fight the fire themselves.
- Children under five face a higher risk of non-fire burns associated with cooking and hot food and drinks than being burned in a cooking fire.
- So, never leave things cooking on the stove unattended (“Watch What You Heat”),
- Keep clutter away from cooking surfaces,
- In a fire, safely evacuate everyone and call 9-1-1 (“Get Out, Stay Out”),
- 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.
AND “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”, recognize the sounds of smoke alarms and what to do once you hear them, because “Smoke alarms save lives”.