Fire Prevention Week is October 4-10, 2020. This year’s theme is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Kitchen fires are the leading cause of home fires, and unattended cooking fires are the leading cause of kitchen fires. With more people home due to the pandemic, everyone is cooking more! One ingredient you need every time you cook is safety.

Fire is fast, dark, and hot. You only have 1 to 3 minutes to escape most fires, so you must be prepared to leave quickly. Fires are preventable. Take some time during Fire Prevention Week to learn how to serve up fire safety in the kitchen.

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Never leave cooking unattended.
• Wear tight-fitting clothing when cooking. Loose-fitting clothing can easily catch fire.
• Keep pot handles facing inward so pans can’t get knocked to the floor.
• Teach children to stay 3-feet away from the stove.
• Put a lid on stovetop fires. Keep a pot lid handy when cooking to smother stovetop fires. Then turn off the stove.
• Never use water or a fire extinguisher on a grease fire. Water and extinguishers can spread the fire. Put a lid on a stovetop fire.
• Keep things that can burn (paper, pot holders, towels, plastic bags) away from the stove.
• For oven or microwave fires, keep the door closed, turn off the appliance and call the fire department.

Fire Prevention Week reminds us to serve up fire safety in the kitchen for a successful meal!

If there is a fire, remember:

• Leave the building immediately and call 9-1-1.
• If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop, cover & roll to put out the flames.
• Most fire victims are hurt trying to fight the fire. Leave firefighting to the professionals.

To keep your home safe from fire:

• Make sure you have working smoke alarms.
• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly. If the alarms have regular batteries, change them every time you change the clocks.
• Consider installing home sprinklers. Sprinklers buy time, and time saves lives.
• For added protection, and if older adults live alone, consider installing heat-limiting devices like Smart Burners™, or Stove Top Fire Stop in-hood fire extinguishers.

Use this Fire Prevention Month Calendar to promote fire safety messages all month long. You can add your department name to it.

Visit our Home Fire Safety webpage for more information.

The National Fire Protection Association, sponsors of Fire Prevention Week, has resources for firefighters and teachers including lesson plans for different age groups, sample press releases, the logo, and more.