All too often we hear of someone innocently starting to deep fry some chicken, or fries or a tortilla, leave the kitchen for “just a minute” and come back in to a blazing stove top. The mess a fire like this creates is unbelievable. I spent a few minutes reviewing a report from the University of Maryland and it’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering. In among all the statistics for how quickly different oils ignite were the sobering facts about residential fires. They account for 1/4th of fire incidents but they’re also responsible for 75% of fire related deaths and injuries. Eighty eight percent of fires leading to deaths were on the range or cook top and 93% of these “food ignition fires” began with the ignition of cooking oil.
Cooking oil and fireOil is a key ingredient found in the majority of today’s kitchens. Whether a recipe calls for frying or sautéing, we include oil in almost all of our daily cooking. When using any of the many oils to prepare your meals like olive, canola, corn or soybean, consider the following safety tips when cooking:
Did you know that electric stoves are considered more dangerous than gas? It’s pretty reasonable: You can’t see the heat source with electric as you can with gas, and then the heat is so intense, even after turning the electricity off. So what are some steps you can take to protect yourself?
Taking just a few minutes can save you SO much time and headache! If you do have smoke and fire damage, call your insurance agent. Then call us! The crew at Lamunyon Dry Out & Foundation Repair have cleaned up plenty of oil and grease fires throughout our service area. That area includes all of Central Kansas and as far west as Hays to as far east as the outskirts of Topeka. While we will happily do it for you, we’d rather meet under less stressful circumstances! Pay attention, stay focused on one thing at a time and enjoy a nice meal! http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/causes/cooking/safety-messages-about-cooking