As Fire Prevention Week ends, the Mount Vernon Fire Department offers safety tips.
This year’s theme is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” Fire Chief Chad Christopher told the Mount Vernon News.
49% of residential home fires start in the kitchen, Fire Prevention Officer Terry Davis noted.
You can prevent fires by taking care when cooking with grease and never leave cooking unattended. Move combustibles like towels and oven mitts at least three feet away.
Always supervise children who are cooking. Additionally, limit distractions, and don’t cook when impaired.
Firefighters answered a call where a young girl started a pot of water to boil for mac and cheese before getting distracted with her phone. The pot boiled dry and started a fire.
For stovetop fires, remove the pan from the heat or unplug the heat source, Christopher said. Keep a lid handy to cover any unexpected fires.
Make sure your home has ABC-rated fire extinguishers in your garage, kitchen and utility room.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have a 10-year lifespan, Christopher said. In addition to changing batteries at the time change, replace the detectors as they age. Davis suggests a monthly test of detectors, which should be on each level of the home and within each bedroom.
The Fire Department works with the Red Cross to install smoke detectors in people’s homes. Call to get on an installation list.
Homes with gas appliances need a carbon monoxide (CO) detector.
“That’s the silent killer," Christopher said. "It’s tasteless, odorless. So we want to make sure we have one of those on each level of the home."
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning resemble the flu, with headaches and nausea. If you have those symptoms but not the flu, call 911.
Even heating up the car in the garage with the door open is dangerous. Take it out of the garage to avoid the risk of CO building up.
“It’s just as important that we practice and have discussion about home fire drills as we do in our schools,” Christopher said. For help with a home fire plan, call the Fire Department at 740-393-9515, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Get chimneys inspected and cleaned to avoid creosote buildup. Burn clean, seasoned firewood. The Fire Department warns ashes may have embers in them days after you last had a fire.
“Put them in a metal bucket and remove those to a safe distance from the house and away from anything combustible,” Christopher said.
Keep anything combustible away from kerosene or space heaters, including furniture and curtains. Create a kid- and pet-free zone around them.
Wait to refill a kerosene heater until it cools down, and then take it outside.
Space heaters should be up to date and UL listed so they automatically shut off if tipped over. Plug them directly into a wall outlet.
Thanksgiving brings its own dangers, starting with the No. 1 fire starter, which is deep-frying turkeys. Follow all recommendations and do it in a safe area away from the home, not inside the garage or on your back patio.
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