There are nearly 350,000 home fires reported annually in the United States, and 49% of them are the result of kitchen fire hazards. Residential and commercial kitchens commonly house extremely flammable liquids like grease, oil, and alcohol. When combined with excessive heat or open flames, these can quickly turn a casual cooking session into a raging fire. Let’s take a look at some of the most common fire hazards in the kitchen and how you can help keep your home and family safe.
1. Stovetop
Cooktops are an essential part of any kitchen, but the easy access to an open heat source makes them top on the list of kitchen fire hazards. Gas stovetops are especially dangerous since they produce an open flame when lit and have the potential to leak gas if they are accidentally turned out without igniting a flame. Even glass cooktops and electric coil burners can be hazardous since they produce so much heat.
To mitigate the risk of fire while using your stovetop, be careful to keep anything that can catch fire away. This includes towels and rags, papers, and anything else that could overheat and burst into flames. It’s also important to stay in the kitchen while cooking. Avoid walking out to do another job, and don’t ever leave the house when the oven or stovetop is on. When you finish cooking, ensure everything is turned off and always double-check. Better safe than sorry!
2. Faulty Appliances
Fires started by faulty appliances are less common, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen. New appliances and homes are at a lower risk of this, so if you regularly use old appliances or live in an older home that might have problems with the electrical wiring, you should consider having them checked for safety by an electrician.
Unplugging your appliances when they’re not in use can seriously reduce the risk of a fire whether your home and appliances are new or old. Also, check your outlets to make sure you have GFCI receptacles since they help prevent power surges and faults.
3. Grease
The buildup of grease on your cooking appliances over time is a major fire hazard since grease is so flammable. It’s important to keep your oven, range, and other appliances like air fryers clean from grease at all times. Grease fires are difficult to put out so don’t allow cooking grease to build up over time.
Black Diamond Restoration Is Here
At Black Diamond Restoration we truly hope you take the proper precautions to protect your home from these common kitchen fire hazards. But if disaster does strike, we’re here to help. Our expert team of disaster restoration specialists will be there every step of the way to help with smoke and fire damage and to restore your home back to its previous condition. We offer 24/7 emergency services as well as mold remediation, storm damage repair, and more in Sandy, Utah, and other cities across the Salt Lake and Utah valleys. Give us a call today for all of your disaster restoration needs!
