Most homeowners cook every day. While today’s ovens and stovetops are safe, caution must be used when cooking. Keeping your kitchen free of fire hazards is extremely important. Follow these five easy safety tips to keep your family safe.

1. Cook with Care

Make sure your stove and oven hood are safely and correctly installed. Tie back long hair and tuck in loose clothing. Wear non-slip footwear. Make sure to use protective hot mitts when moving pots and pans. Take extra care not to splash hot oil; using a splatter guard may help.

Turn pot handles inward so that they will not be bumped and knocked off the stove top. Do not use the oven for storage.

It is essential to keep your stove and oven clean. Grease and debris from cooking can ignite, causing fires. Wipe your stove top down frequently, and run the self-cleaning function on your oven if available.

2. Keep Loose Items Away

Do not let loose items like towels lay on or near your stove top. These can quickly ignite and cause a fire. Keep the area around your stove top clean and do not let clutter build up. Clutter could cause a fire on the stove top to spread to other parts of the kitchen.

3. Use Child and Pet Safety Products

If you have children or pets in the home, make sure they are kept well away from the stove-top or oven. Use baby gates to keep very young children and pets out of the kitchen.

Several third-party child safety items can be purchased to keep your children and pets safe. Locking knob covers and strap locks for oven doors are available. These will prevent a child or pet from inadvertently turning the stove on or causing a gas leak. If you do smell gas, open the windows and leave the house.

4. Keep a Fire Extinguisher Nearby

Purchase a fire extinguisher and keep it near your cooking area. Never use water to put out a grease fire, as this can cause it to spread. Instead, smother the fire with a tight lid or use a fire extinguisher.

5. Protect Your Home

A monitored home security system can provide peace of mind. When fire alarms are activated in the home, our service immediately calls 911.These systems provide smoke detectors and other sensors that can significantly reduce your worry and stress when considering fire safety.

Sources

http://www.preventfire.com/adults/oven-and-stove-top-safety.html

https://www.protectyourhome.com/adt-home-security-install-locations/california