| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016
CONTACT: Kevin Walters
OFFICE: (615) 253-8941
State Fire Marshal: Add Kitchen Safety to Sunday’s Game Plan
Cooking is Leading Cause of Home Fires & Home Fire Injuries Nationwide
NASHVILLE –As football fans gather to watch the Big Game this Sunday, the State Fire Marshal’s Office offers Tennesseans essential tips to keep the firefighters from crashing your viewing party.
“Sunday’s championship game is the second biggest day for food consumption in the U.S.,” Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak said. “For many, it means a lot of time spent in the kitchen preparing game day snacks. We’re encouraging Tennesseans to brush up on basic kitchen fire safety tips when planning the menu for this weekend’s game.”
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries nationwide, with home fires more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room.
Before kicking off your football watch party, make sure your game plan is fire-safe:
Kitchen Huddle
Prepare your cooking area. Use back burners or turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Move things that can burn away from the stove. Keep a timer handy and use it when you’re roasting or baking.
Penalty Flag
Frying poses the greatest risk of fire. Keep an eye on what you fry. Start with a small amount of oil and heat it slowly. If you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil in your pan, turn the burner off. Even a small amount of oil on a hot burner can start a fire.
Defense
Stay awake and alert while you’re cooking. Stand by your pan. If you leave the
kitchen, turn the burner off. Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet nearby in case you need to smother a pan fire.
Illegal Contact
Prevent burns when you’re cooking. Wear short sleeves, or roll them up. Don’t lean over the burner. Use potholders and oven mitts to handle hot or steaming cookware.
Defensive Linemen
Children need constant adult supervision. If you have young children in the home, keep them three feet from anything that can get hot, including the stove. Put hot objects and liquids beyond a child’s reach so they can’t touch or pull them down. Never hold a child when you cook.
Touchdown!
Keep safety in mind when serving on game day, too. Food warmers and slow cookers get hot. Place them toward the back of the serving table so they won’t get knocked off. Provide hot pads to prevent burns. Light the chafing dish fuel can after it is placed under the warmer. Make sure nothing comes in contact with the flame. If young children are in your home, supervise them and keep matches and lighters locked away.
Don’t forget to install smoke alarms on every level of your home and to test them monthly. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your home. The plan should include two ways out of every room and a designated meeting place outside where everyone can be accounted for.
For a complete home fire safety checklist, visit: https://tn.gov/assets/entities/commerce/attachments/HomeFireSafetyChecklist.pdf.
About the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance: TDCI is charged with protecting the interests of consumers while providing fair, efficient oversight and a level field of competition for a broad array of industries and professionals doing business in Tennessee. Our divisions include the Athletic Commission, Consumer Affairs, Tennessee Corrections Institute, Emergency Communications Board, Fire Prevention, Insurance, Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy, Peace Officers Standards and Training, Regulatory Boards, Securities, and TennCare Oversight.
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