Cooking is one of the leading causes of fire accidents around the house. According to the reports by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), these home fires can give way to thousands of home fires and fire injuries every month. If these aren’t taken care of soon, it can eventually turn out to be a problem.
One of the leading causes of these home fires is unattended cooking equipment. Apart from that, the unusual behavior of people, such as placing flammable equipment near the fire, is also one of the main reasons for such home fires.
A simple run into another room to grab something being one of the most prominent reasons for leaving cooking (this includes home brewing) equipment unattended.
It is essential to be careful about the dangers of cooking and maintain precautions around the house. If you know how the fire starts and what actions are needed to prevent it, you can easily take action to prevent the fire from flaring up any further. When you are just learning how to brew beer at home, keep the basics in mind. “Don’t leave my equipment unattended.“
If a fire were to start in your garage or “brew-room,” would you know exactly what to do?
Stovetop and Oven Safety
Everyone has a stovetop or oven around the house. Statistically, these are the leading causes of 62% of house fires. Stovetops amount to 87% of deaths caused due to house fire. Ovens can amount up to 4% of deaths caused by a house fire. (NFPA)
Leading Causes of House Fires
Experts over the years have advised not to leave the stovetops unattended. Some of the prominent safety advice that you should be followed are:
Don’t leave the burner unattended
Leaving the burner unattended will only be a problem. Even if you think that it is only for a minute, it can be a much bigger problem. This may sound easy to do, but distractions are very common. You may consider setting a timer depending on the walk away range.
Clean and maintain stovetops and oven interiors
It is essential to keep the sides of the stovetops and oven interiors clean. This helps to avoid the risk of fire catching up. Also, you need to avoid putting up combustible substances around it because one small mistake will lead to fire taking up all around the kitchen. You should keep a fire extinguisher.
Keep a good smoke alarm
According to the reports by NFPA, most people suffer from home fires because their smoke alarm wasn’t in proper working condition. You may be alarmed and annoyed at the smoke alarm every time it beeps, but it can help you save your life.
Grease Fires
The liquid is the main source of such fires, and it can easily trigger leading to the burning of skin and clothing. It is essential to keep a check on oil and grease when you are using it for cooking. If you notice the heat getting too much, you need to turn it down to prevent the smoke. Too much smoke from the oil can increase the risk of ignition.
Grease fires are not very common, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation, it is necessary that you shut down the main source. Experts have always recommended keeping a fire extinguisher around your kitchen to maintain safety.
What to do if the fire flares up?
No matter how hard you try, in some conditions, the fire is bound to flare up. Therefore, in situations like this, it is essential to be careful. Whenever you are in the kitchen, you need to be careful enough to lower the risk of accidents. But fire flaring up in a kitchen is a common scenario, and you need to be prepared for it.
1. Do not panic
It is widespread to start panicking on seeing the fire flare-up. But, you must maintain the calm and proceed. Family safety is the most important thing, so you need to protect yourself first before saving someone else.
2. Try extinguishing
Small fires around your kitchen are common. You can put these small fires down quickly by extinguishing it. However, if you do not have an extinguisher around your house, you need to ensure that you get in touch with experts to help you with it.
3. Avoid putting water on a grease fire
Putting up water on a grease fire can increase the risk of steam; this eventually increases the risk of burns. Also, oil splashes can increase the risk of fire spreading. As a result, it is best to try and put off the source of the fire. Make sure not to remove the pan until it is thoroughly cooked.
4. Turn off the microwave in case of fire breakout
If a fire breaks out, make sure to turn off the microwave. Once you turn it off, do not open it until the flame subsides. This only increases the risk of getting burnt.
Child Safety in the Kitchen and the Brewery
The children will be present around the kitchen, so it is necessary to be cautious. The children aren’t aware of fire as a danger, and their presence in the kitchen will also be a distraction. It is necessary to educate the children about potential risks related to fire.
- Put up a guard around the ovens and stove top area to prevent children from entering
- Don’t keep anything near the stove tops that may attract children.
- Avoid putting up pots and pan holes around the stovetop.
- Educate children about the potential risks of touching hot appliances.
Fire can break out anytime around your house. Being prepared helps mitigate the risks.
Lead marketer, brewer, dad, and husband. Pretty much an all-round awesome guy. I’ve been homebrewing for +20 yrs, an aspiring pro-brewer and micro brewery owner!