This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”
Your Comox Valley fire departments want you to know one of the leading causes of home fires in British Columbia is carelessness while cooking.
Here are some tips to get started:
• Always stay in the kitchen while using the oven or microwave, and never leave anything hot unattended.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop. Loose clothing can hang down onto stove burners and catch fire. Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Never put water on a grease fire – this will only spread the flames.
• If the fire is too large, remain calm, leave the home immediately, and call 911 or your local emergency number.
Fire Prevention Week is also a great time to discuss fire and burn prevention with your friends and family. Take the opportunity to test your smoke alarms, and replace them if they aren’t working or have expired. You can practise your home escape plan or create one if you haven’t yet.
Be sure to check out the Fire Prevention Week contest at www.gov.bc.ca/FirePreventionWeek for the opportunity for students in B.C. to win some fantastic prizes. This year, the contest is open to all grades.