The kitchen in your home can be a source of delight, whether through delicious family meals or festive holiday parties. It can also cause bodily injury and property damage if proper precautions are not taken. In the average home, the kitchen is easily the area most susceptible to catching fire. This is true at any time of year, but it increases during winter, when heating equipment is used more and holiday-related cooking occurs.

Henry County Fire Rescue has two fire prevention specialists whose primary responsibility is to educate the public about kitchen safety. One of these officers, Carla Guiterrez, shared how she enlightens the community on this critical topic. “We go out and speak to seniors as well as children from kindergarten to fifth grade,” she said. “We talk about medication safety and Halloween safety, but recently we have been focusing on kitchen safety, identifying smoke alarm sounds, and having an escape plan.”

School-age children, in particular, are taught to know their home address and to learn that 911 is not just for calling the police, but also for medical and fire emergencies. What else do they learn? For starters, if a fire starts in the kitchen, let Mom and Dad handle it. A fire in a pan on the stove is often quenched by simply putting a lid on it. A grease fire should never be addressed by throwing water on it. The water will evaporate, and things will get worse.

A smoke alarm is a crucial component in fire safety. Each one in the house should be up to date and in working order. However, avoid placing one directly in the kitchen, especially near where you are cooking, as this can cause false alarms. Some people have heard over the years that throwing flour on a kitchen fire is a good idea. That is not true; it could actually explode, and the particles are tiny. That makes the situation hazardous. “Small kitchen fires can be contained with just the lid on the pot,” said Guiterrez. “If it gets out of hand, get out and stay out.”

If you use an air fryer regularly, be sure to keep it clean. That also applies to the oven and stovetop. Crumbs and built-up grease can be a fire hazard. If you are using your cell phone to refer to a recipe, keep it away from the heat source. Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive and could catch fire.

“If you are in the kitchen, be aware of your surroundings, especially if you have children or pets at home,” said Guiterrez. “Don’t be drinking and cooking at the same time.” Henry County Fire Rescue provides links to educational resources on its website, including kitchen safety and other relevant topics.

By Monroe Roark