Fall Fire Safety

This year’s theme for fire prevention week is “Watch What You Heat”, and although fire prevention week has passed, every week is fire prevention week in the fire service, because fire departments across America cannot spread the word in one week, we promote fire safety everyday. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in conjunction with the fire service promotes a theme to focus on for public education for our children and citizens in the United States. This year’s focus is on cooking and kitchen safety.

More fires start in the kitchen than in any room in our homes. Why is the kitchen such a danger zone? Too often during our hectic day we fail to pay attention to what’s cooking, distractions come in many ways, the telephone rings, our children call for help, or someone comes to the door and we forget what we were cooking, and the consequences can be far worse that just burned food. Like any home fire, cooking fires can spread very quickly, primarily because of the constant fuel source and the type of foods cooking, leaving you just minutes to escape safely. The Burbank Fire Department asks you to follow these tips for safer cooking:

Stand by your pan!
 Most fires in the kitchen occur because cooking is left unattended.
 Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food.
 If you leave the kitchen only for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
 If you are simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly, remain home when cooking, and use a timer to remind you that the stove or oven is on.

No kids allowed!
 Keep kids away from the cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet around the stove.
 When young children are in the home, use the stoves back burners whenever possible, and remember to turn pot handles back to reduce the risk that pots with hot contents will be knocked over.
 Never hold a small child when cooking.

Keep it clean!
 Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains away from your stovetop.
 Clean food and grease from burners, stovetop and broilers.
 Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Loose clothing can catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

Microwave with care!
 Plug the microwave oven directly into an outlet, never use an extension cord for a microwave it can overload the circuit and cause a fire.
 Use only microwave-safe containers to heat food.
 Allow food to cool for a minute or more before you remove it from the microwave.
 Open microwaved containers slowly; hot steam escaping from the containers can cause painful burns. Be sure to let food and liquid cool before eating them.
 NEVER use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave oven. They can cause a fire or burn hazard and damage the oven.

Kitchen fires 101
While the following tips can help you put out a SMALL kitchen fire, never forget how dangerous fire can be. If you are unable to put out the fire, get out of the home and call 911, remember “When in doubt, Get out!”
 If you have a fire in your microwave, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed. Never open the door until the fire is completely out. Unplug then appliance if you can safely reach the outlet.
 Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt). Turn OFF the burner. To keep the fire from restarting, DO NOT remove the lid until the pan is completely cool.
 In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep ther door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.
 Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen in case of an emergency, you can place it in a cabinet close to the stove/oven. Make sure you know what type of extinguisher you have, what type of fire it will but out and how to use.

In addition to cooking and kitchen safety, there are other key fire safety key tips the fire department would like to remind the residents to follow. With our season changing, the warm sunny days of summer dwindling, colder days will soon prevail. It is also the time to get your home ready for the coming fall and winter months. The fire department asks residents to be careful when storing yard equipment and fuel for these pieces of equipment as well as torch fuel that was used during the summer. These highly flammable liquids should be stored in the garage or backyard shed, in approved containers and away from any heat source.

I would like to remind residents that the burning of leaves is not allowed in Burbank. With the increased use of outdoor fireplaces, please remember that these items are designed for use with logs and not leaves. Any questions regarding the use of outdoor fireplaces should be directed to the fire department. I strongly suggests that residents who use outdoor fireplaces to be extremely careful and follow the manufacturers instructions and NEVER use gasoline to start a fire in one of these units. I ask that residents be considerate to neighbors when using the outdoor fireplaces, because smoke from these units can get into neighbor’s houses through an open door or window. In addition to smoke concerns, burning embers can escape from the unit. In the event this does happen, make sure the embers are out when landing, and in the event there is a fire call the fire department immediately. Most of all be extremely careful when using outdoor fireplaces around children, and PUT THE FIRE OUT before going in for the night, the fire could easily be extinguished with water.

Home Fire Safety Tips:

 All homes should have at least one Smoke Detector on each level, do not forget to check your detector's every month, and change the battery every year.

 All home should have a Carbon Monoxide Detector.

 Each family should have an ESCAPE PLAN in the event of a fire and practice it with all family members.

 Use outdoor fireplaces properly and be considerate of your neighbors.

Following these Fire Safety Tips, together, we can all make the City of Burbank a fire safe community.

Stay safe,
Chief Harper