Cooking is an activity that a lot of people engage in every day. Whether one cooks to relax and unwind or simply to have something to eat, one should be aware of the risks involved in cooking.
The fact is that a majority of home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments every year are caused by cooking equipment accidents, and that’s according to the National Fire Protection Association. Between 2007 and 2011, these fire departments responded to an average of 156,600 residential property fires involving cooking equipment per year. The accidents caused an average of 400 civilian deaths, over 5,000 injuries, and more than $853 in direct property damage.
The NFPA further notes that unattended cooking is the largest contributing factor in these types of fires. When people leave their cooking unattended, temperatures can reach very high levels, causing the food to ignite. Take note that around 67% of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food and other cooking materials.
One of the most common types of fires that can occur during cooking is a grease fire. Grease fires can happen when the grease on the pan, as well as grease that has splashed on the stove’s surfaces, ignites due to high temperatures. It is very dangerous because the grease serves as a fuel source for the fire. Moreover, because grease comes in liquid form, it can get splashed easily and spread the fire very quickly. Make sure to adhere to the following tips for the safe extinguishing of such fires.
With the right knowledge, you can avoid serious injuries and costly property damage from grease fires.
If you need help restoring a portion of your kitchen that has been damaged by a cooking fire accident, please call All American Cleaning at 208-203-1512. Our service area includes the city of Idaho Falls and surrounding communities in Southeast Idaho.