Cooking is the culprit for most home fires and fire injuries in the home but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid of the kitchen. In fact, with a few simple precautions, you can seriously minimize the risk of kitchen fires in your home.

Kitchen fires can get started in so many ways, including grease fires, appliances malfunctioning, or simply a too-hot pan being left on the counter.

Here are some tips to prevent kitchen fires in your home:

1. Keep a keen eye on your pot

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires: especially frying, broiling and grilling. Try your best to stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you must leave, turn off the heat and remove pots and pans from the stove first.

2. Install a smoke detector

A stovetop grease fire is easy to smother as long as you catch it early, but it can quickly get out of hand if left unattended. A smoke detector is one of the quickest ways you can get alerted for a potential fire so keep one near your kitchen. Just be sure to regularly check it’s working properly.

3. Keep area around stovetop clear and clean

Keep flammable items a safe distance from the stovetop when you’re cooking. These include kitchen towels, appliance cords, curtains and other similar items. And be extra careful if you’re using a kitchen towel to remove pots from the burner – ensure it doesn’t hang down and touch the burner.

4. Watch your clothing

To avoid unfortunate situations, opt to wear shorter sleeves, fitted tops, or tie loose clothing back with a properly fitted apron. 

5. Be prepared to put out a fire

Although you don’t want a fire to occur, it’s vital to be prepared in case it does. Lids, oven trays, baking soda, and other non-safety devices are unreliable and potentially dangerous. Opt to use our Flamenator suppressor, and turn off the heat. Avoid using water to put out grease fires as it is extremely dangerous. Water will lift the grease up and cause the fire to explode. Never use water on a grease fire!

We designed The Flamenator Stovetop Fire Suppressor to put out grease fires easily and effectively. It’s made from fire-resistant materials that quickly smother grease fires, while the long handle keeps you a safe distance from the fire.