Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the Town of Tecumseh and in Ontario. Unattended cooking is by far the leading cause of many fire injuries and deaths.

Be fire-safe in the kitchen with these tips

• Never leave a pot unattended on the stove
• Use a timer when baking
• Keep clutter away from elements and heating surfaces
• Remove all items from the stovetop when you are done cooking
• Use a heat-resistant surface to cool down cookware
• Keep young children and pets away from stovetops
• Never try to move a burning pot. Put a lid on it and turn off heat
• Have a fire extinguisher in an accessible place and know how to use it
• Understand the dangers of unattended cooking

What do I do if I have a kitchen fire?

Put a lid on it

• To extinguish a grease fire, use a potholder or oven mitts and slide a pot lid over the flames then turn off the heat source
• If you have one, use a multi-purpose ABC fire extinguisher
• If the flames do not go out, immediately leave your home and call 911
• All fires should be reported to the fire department, even if you think that you have put the fire out
• Do not throw water on it! Smother the flames by sliding a lid over the fire
• Do not use an extinguisher with a grease fire; this can spread the burning grease and spread the fire

Oven/microwave fires

• If a fire starts in your oven, close the oven door and turn off the heat source
• For a microwave fire, keep the door closed and turn off the microwave
• If the fire does not go out, immediately leave your home and call 911

Grease fires

• If the fire does not go out, immediately leave your home and call 911

Keep your kitchen neat and clean

• Keep potholders, food packaging, cookbooks and other combustibles off your stovetop
• Wipe up spills and clean your oven. Built up grease can catch fire and spread quickly
• Turn pot handles in so you do not accidentally bump into them and hurt yourself or start a fire