Preventing Cooking Fires In The Kitchen (NAPSA)—While there can be such a thing as “too many cooks in the kitchen,” having no cooks in the kitchen can be far more com- mon, safety experts say, and dog TT ine aay rh +. a q i 4 'q the area whenit started. During the holiday season, the od ers Laboratories (UL) and the + a ae ; rs le Pani oo ae ah ; ‘te im | of home fires reported, the person U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Underwrit- = ot Rie: eee * responsible for the fire was not in ti - i an Aerab Rapa "eb na—a potentially far more dangerous. Statistics show that three in 10 residential fires begin in the kitchen. And, in nearly 75 percent > —_ ‘ol ‘ % ‘ Unattended pots and pans on the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) have stove are a common source of take to minimize their risk of a kitchenfire: e Wear clothing with short people’s first instinct is to use water to put out the flames, which can actually make the situation teamed up to offer the following common sense steps people can sleeves or rolled-up long sleeves to keep them away from open flames. Keep cooking surfaces clean. e Turn pot handles inward and supervise children in the kitchen at all times. e Always keep an eye on what you are cooking. “We're trying to get the message out to consumersto be very careful about what they're doing in the kitchen and don’t leave pots and pans unattended,” said Hal Strat- ton, chairman of the U.S. Con- sumer Product Safety Commission. Besides unattended cooking, crease fires present a particularly kitchen fires. dangerous situation because many worse. The best way to control a grease fire is to smother it. Make sure you keep a lid near by that fits the pan youre using and, if a grease fire occurs, bring the lid in low and cover the pan to smotherthefire. Leave the lid on the pan and allow it to cool. If you have a household fire extinguisher, make sure you know howto properly useit. Experts add that if a fire does occur, it is best to leave the house immediately and call 911 for help. To receive a free brochure with more cooking safety tips, call 1- 888-785-7233 (SAFE).
