Essa Fire Chief Sounds Alarm On Kitchen Fires

Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and the #2 cause of all fatal home fires

Unattended cooking gets the blame for three kitchen fires in the last ten days in Essa Township.

Fire Chief Cynthia Ross Tustin says the fires were relatively minor in nature and all residents are safe.

They all had working smoke alarms.

These fires could easily have had very different outcomes; and could easily have been prevented.

Statistics from the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management indicate that:

• Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and the #2 cause of all fatal home fires
• Cooking left unattended is the cause of 52% of all cooking fires
• Stovetop fires account for 71% of all cooking fires
• Dollar loss for the average cooking fire is $27,000

The Essa Fire Department offers the following safety advice for your family:

• Always Stay in the kitchen while cooking; and if you must leave, turn the stove off
• Keep anything that burns – cooking utensils, dishcloths, paper towels and pot holders – a safe distance from the stove.
• Ensure your family’s smoke alarm and CO detectors are in good working order.

banner image: Travis via Flickr