Most home fires start in the kitchen, and most fires are caused by unattended cooking. If you are easily distracted or your memory isn’t quite what it used to be, you will need to be especially vigilant. It could happen to anyone, which is why you should surround yourself with safety products in order to protect yourself. If one does start, you want to be able to extinguish the flames safely and efficiently.
We all get sidetracked. A few minutes to check your e-mail can easily turn into a half an hour. It doesn’t take long for browning hamburger to burn and fill the kitchen with smoke. Most kitchen fires start because cooking food is left forgotten on the stove. Every appliance in the house has a buzzer but most of them are not loud enough to hear if you are more than one room away. If you must leave the kitchen get in the habit of taking a portable timer with you. Some people like to wear a timer around their necks or have timers that are so loud that they could raise the dead.
What else can you do to prevent fires? If you tend to forget your timer you might want to let modern technology come to your aid. Use an electric tea kettle that turns off automatically when the water boils or install an electric shut off timer on your stove. Use appliances with automatic turn-off features or consider a low electric burner or induction cook top.
Smoke and Fire Warning Devices are must have safety features. A lot of people have them, but how many remember to test them regularly and replace the batteries? Consider purchasing an alarm that uses lithium batteries that will last for 10 years, or have your appliances wired into the home electric system (which would eliminate the need for batteries altogether). Install an alarm outside your bedroom and on every floor in the house.
What do you do if a fire actually occurs? Keep a fire extinguisher where it is handy. This means within easy reach in the kitchen, and be sure that you know how to use it. Check your fire extinguishers periodically. If a kitchen fire has happened more than once it is time to something about it. One option is to install an automatic fire extinguisher in your range hood. When a stove top fire occurs and the flames reach the can, the extinguisher automatically releases fire suppressing powder onto the fire. A more expensive version not only puts out the fire but turns off the gas or electric power.
One of the reasons that people don’t keep fire extinguishers out in the open is that they are obvious and unsightly. This is a poor reason but what can I say. If this is your excuse you will be gratified to know that less obtrusive versions are available, and they can sit right on the counter. They are easy to use and they are right there if you need them.
Don’t become a statistic because you are easily distracted, forgetful or just too busy to multi-task successfully.
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