October 4-10, 2020 is Fire Prevention Week, which commemorates the Great Chicago Fire. That fire occurred Oct. 8, 1871, killing 250 people, leaving 100,000 people homeless, destroying 17,400 structures, and burning 2,000 acres. This year’s theme is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Cooking, unattended or not is the No.1 cause of residential fires in America. When I left the job in 2010, 3.7 out of every 10 fires in Chesterfield County were caused by cooking. Interestingly, we talk about this issue more, but the statistic remains high. When you put all of the right ingredients for a fire into the hands of human beings, the chances of a fire becomes almost inevitable. This is a case where the numbers truly speak for themselves. You have seen me write repeatedly about the possibility and probability of an event occurring. The possibility of a fire occurring is always present, but the probability is usually low. If you have a situation where the heat, fuel, and oxygen are present and you add the human factor, then both the possibility and the probability go up. In other words, the chances of a fire occurring is much greater. It is my hope that this article will help you to prevent a fire in your home versus the alternative.
The first step in preventing something from occurring is coming to the realization that it could occur. Many people believe that a fire could never happen to them. A clean work space is the beginning of prevention. There should not be papers, paper towel dispensers, or other combustibles stored around your stove top. If you do this, then it is only a matter of time before something will catch on fire. Another part of keeping things clean is wiping down the stove top, oven, and area around the stove. A buildup of grease is going to either be what catches on fire or what allows the fire to be bigger than it might have been had the area been kept clean. After starting with a clean area to cook, now you need to convince yourself that cooking requires 100 percent of your attention. You might be saying, “yeah right, you don’t have a clue!” Distractions of any type could lead you away from cooking, to the point that when you return the kitchen, it is on fire. If you must leave the kitchen while cooking turn everything off until you return. If this is not possible, then carry a large kitchen utensil with you, to remind you that you were cooking. Bad habits, like using dish towels as pot holders, will become a big problem down the road. Another act of prevention is replacing appliances that are not functioning properly. Houses have been burned to the foundation because of toasters and coffee makers. Doing everything possible to prevent a fire is the most important part of this equation.
What will you do once a fire occurs? The fire is most likely going to start in your kitchen, but there are other places and causes. Let’s say that a fire starts in a pan or on your stove top. What now? You need to remove one of the three components, the heat, the fuel, or the oxygen. To remove the heat, you need to turn the burner off if it is safe to do so. Many people have attempted to move burning pans off of the stove only to be burned and spread the fire. To remove the oxygen, you need to cover the pan with a lid, right size or not. It is better to use something that is larger than the pot or pan, if available. Once it is covered, leave the cover in place, turn the heat off, and let it cool down. If necessary, you may need to use a fire extinguisher to put the fire out. Use the right extinguisher for the right fire. Look at the following:
- Class A extinguishers are designed for combustibles such as wood or paper
- Class B extinguishers are designed for flammable or combustible liquids
- Class C extinguishers are designed for energized electrical fires
- Class D extinguishers are designed for combustible metals
ABC and BC extinguishers are multi-purpose or multi-fire type. To use a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS, which means:
- Pull the pin
- Aim the nozzle
- Squeeze the handle
- Sweep at the base of the fire
If the fire is too big, then get your family out. In fact, your family should be evacuating immediately, whatever the size of the fire. A proper number of properly located and properly operating smoke alarms is a vital piece that may allow the survival of your family when a fire occurs. If you have a smoke alarm that goes off every time that you cook, do not disable it, move it! In the midst of dealing with a fire, someone needs to call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible. It is the job of firefighters to fight the fire. Your job is to get your family out and to stay out. A practiced home escape plan is another vital part of the survivability of a fire in your home. You cannot plan for a crisis in the midst of a crisis. You must have a plan.
If you do not want unexpected guests to come to your next meal, then you must do everything possible to prevent a kitchen fire from occurring. Firefighters come to work every day, wondering where the fire will be each day. Thankfully, the Daily Business Plan has read, No Significant Incidents, for the last 3 or 4 days, for all three shifts. That does not mean that they are not responding to calls, but that there have been no big fires, major accidents, hazardous material, tech rescue, or dive responses. Firefighters cannot let their guard down, just as you cannot let your guard down. There is a reason that kitchen fire safety is the theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week. For more information, you can go to nfpa.org, and click on Fire Prevention Week. Stay safe, prevent fires at all costs, and get out and stay out when a fire occurs!
