How you can prevent kitchen fires

NORWALK — The Norwalk Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to promote this year's Fire Prevention Week campaign, "Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!" The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. In 2019, the Norwalk Fire Department reported 36 structure fires with one civilian fire fatality. Seven of those fires were kitchen related, including the fatal fire. In 2020, Norwalk Fire has reported 22 structure fires so far, with five being related to kitchen fires. According to the fire protection association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and house fire injuries in the United States. Almost half of the reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen and cooking oil and grease fires are a major part of that. Norwalk fire chief Ron Luttrell said cooking fires are a leading cause of home fire deaths and nearly half of all home fires involve cooking equipment. Luttrell said an average of 470 home cooking fires were reported per day in 2018, and the peak days were Thanksgiving and Christmas. "We know cooking fires can be prevented," said Lorraine Carli, the fire protection association vice-president of outreach and advocacy. "Staying in the kitchen, using a timer, and avoiding distractions such as electronics or TV are steps everyone can take to keep families safe in their homes." The Norwalk Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2020 Fire Prevention Week theme. Norwalk Fire provided safety tips to keep cooking fires from occurring: • Never leave the kitchen while cooking • If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove • Keep flammable objects, like towels or food packaging, at least three feet away from stovetops • Don't use your stove when tired or after consuming alcohol Countertop appliances should be unplugged when they're not in use, Luttrell said, and double-check everything is turned off when you've finished cooking. "Make sure you have, and test, a GFCI receptacle in your kitchen to prevent shock and electrocution," Luttrell said. "And never disable a smoke alarm while cooking." Luttrell said to prevent fires, keep your oven and stovetop clean of grease and dust and never use a cooking stove to heat your home. Have a "kid-free zone" of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire prevention, visit www.fpw.org.