Fire Prevention Week focuses on Cooking Safety
News Release
With Fire Prevention Week starting on October 8, Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) reminds residents: Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to Fire Prevention.
This year they are teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week(TM) (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, which works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
According to NFPA, cooking is one of the leading causes of home fires in North America and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
“The Kelowna Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, Cooking safety starts with YOU,” says Candace Friesen, Fire Inspector & Life Safety Educator. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. We have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
Key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:
- Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
- Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
View these tips in action through KFD’s Fire Safety in the kitchen video, located on the City of Kelowna Youtube Channel.
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit fpw.org
For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org
