Have You Set Your Kitchen On Fire Lately

That might sound a little ridiculous, but it happens everyday. There are so many house fires that get started in the kitchen and it is usually because of carelessness. We all live busy lives and cooking is usually fitted in after work and before bed sometime. It can be a hectic affair when there is a lot going on with kids, homework, after school activities, bath time, and so much more. Turning your back or going into another room, even if only for a couple of minutes, it can be enough for a fire to get started and get out of control before you know what has happened.

Cooking should be a pleasurable experience, but sometimes it is far from it. A lot of days it is the last thing a mom or dad wants to do after they have already worked all day. Of course, there are plenty of microwave food out there, but as parents we know that a lot of them are not that healthy to eat all of the time. Home cooked meals, even if they are thrown together quickly are usually better for our family to eat. Sometimes quickly can be the key word. When you are cooking in the kitchen, no matter what it is, you need to stay close. Keep a phone in the kitchen with you so you do not have to leave the room to answer it.

Another mistake that might not necessarily be carelessness is trying to cook things too quickly. We will often turn the stove eyes or oven on too high of a setting just so we can get it done faster. This might get a can of soup done faster, but it also increases the risks of starting a fir if we are not careful. Leaving things too close to the stove eyes or forgetting to turn the burner off is also common. We do not mean to be careless, but we can be when we are in a rush or too tired.

Making sure that we stay in the room is a must. Also making sure that there is a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is essential too. Keep the extinguisher nearby, but not necessarily right near the stove. If the stove catches fire, you might not be able to reach it for the flames. Keep it on a wall opposite to the stove so you can get to it easily. Baking soda is also a good item to keep handy if there is only a flare up on the stove eye. Never put water on a grease fire. Keep the phone number to the fire department on the refrigerator or other place that it can be found easily just in case a stove or other appliance fire gets out of control. Never, ever to forget to keep smoke detectors in various places in your home, especially in your kitchen.