Holiday Cooking Safety Tips

Prism Specialties

December 1st, 2023

Holiday Cooking Safety Tips If you don’t know how many kitchen fires happen each year, you may be surprised. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, fire departments respond to 187,500 cooking fires yearly. That’s a lot of kitchen fires! And during the holidays, these fires increase by more than 2-3x the daily average. This is […]

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Holiday Cooking Safety Tips

If you don’t know how many kitchen fires happen each year, you may be surprised. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, fire departments respond to 187,500 cooking fires yearly. That’s a lot of kitchen fires!

And during the holidays, these fires increase by more than 2-3x the daily average. This is largely due to the increased use of the kitchen during the fall and winter holiday seasons.

To avoid any accidental cooking fires this holiday season, follow this guide to fire safety in the kitchen!

Holiday Kitchen Fire Safety Tips

To best prepare for safe holiday cooking in your kitchen, follow these holiday fire safety tips:

Never leave cooking unattended.
Keep the floor clear of any tripping hazards (toys, presents, etc.).
Consider making the kitchen a kid- and pet-free zone to avoid accidents.
Clean grease off appliances and vent hood screens before the holidays.
Only use turkey fryers outside on a cement surface, and a safe distance from the home.
Make sure the turkey is fully thawed before frying (excess water can cause the oil to spill over).
Frequently check any simmering pots or slow-cooking food items.
Consider assigning kitchen helpers a job to avoid any distracted cooking or unnecessary kitchen traffic.

How to Prevent Kitchen Fires

Though cooking fires are much more common during the holidays, they can still happen year-round. To stay safe during the everyday hustle and bustle of cooking, follow these tips on how to prevent fires in the kitchen:

Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop.
Unplug countertop appliances when not in use.
Always check to make sure appliances are shut off in the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home.
Test your smoke alarms monthly and replace the batteries yearly.
Have an oven mitt and lid nearby when cooking to quickly smother a fire and remove the pan from the stove.
Always have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it.
Wear close-fitting or rolled-up sleeves when cooking and tie up long hair.
Use a kitchen timer to avoid forgetting about anything cooking.
Don’t overload outlets.
Clean appliances regularly to remove dust, buildup, or grease that could fuel a fire.

Can Leaving the Stove on Cause a Fire?

Yes. Leaving an electric or gas stove on can result in the heating element growing too hot and potentially either igniting a nearby flammable object or creating an electric fire. Additionally, leaving the stove on and unattended can result in children, pets, or anyone accidentally burning themselves.

Gas stoves especially can be dangerous if there’s a gas leak, which could result in an explosion.

If a gas stove was left on for an extended period, the best thing to do is open windows and doors, evacuate the house, and call 911 then your local gas company to assess the situation.

What to Do If There’s a Fire in Your Kitchen

Sometimes, even the best kitchen fire prevention tactics are not enough to prevent an accidental fire. Because of this, we recommend everyone in the home is informed and prepared on how to put out a kitchen fire.

If it’s a small stovetop grease fire, smother the fire by safely putting a lid overtop the pan. NEVER use water to put out a grease fire. Then, turn off the burner and leave it until it completely cools off.
If the fire is larger, use a fire extinguisher.
If it’s an oven fire, turn off the heat (if possible, to do so safely) and leave the oven door closed to help prevent the fire from spreading.
For a microwave fire, turn it off and unplug it if possible. Then, leave the door closed and let the fire burn out.
When in doubt, evacuate! Even a small kitchen fire can quickly get out of hand. If the fire isn’t subsiding, evacuate everyone in the home.
Call 911 once safely outside the home.

What to Do After a Small Kitchen Fire

After a kitchen fire, a lot of items in the kitchen could be damaged by fire, smoke, and even from the water or fire extinguisher foam used to put the fire out.

To get the fire, smoke, and water damage remediated as quickly as possible to recover affected building materials, appliances, and personal possessions, follow these steps:

Call your insurance provider to file a homeowners insurance claim.
Call a restoration specialist so that they can immediately begin fire, smoke, and water damage restoration, as needed.
Follow this guide and confirm with the fire department whether it’s safe to enter the home.
If the home is safe to enter, take photos of any damage that resulted from the fire and from putting it out.
Open any windows to help ventilate and allow smoke to escape the home.
Throw out any perishable food items.
Have your HVAC system inspected and cleaned if necessary. Replace any air filters.

Related Content: What Can Be Saved from Smoke Damage?

Experience a Small Kitchen Fire? Schedule Restoration Services with Prism Specialties

If holiday cooking resulted in an unexpected kitchen fire, count on Prism Specialties for fire and water restoration services. Our specialists arrive quickly to assess the damage immediately and begin restoring appliances, electronics, textiles, documents, and more. Call (888) 826-9429 or submit a claim online to get started.