Alton Fire Rescue Department reminds residents about cooking safety

ALTON — The Alton Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote a campaign called, “Cooking safety starts with you. Pay attention to fire prevention.”

The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States.

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49%) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

The Alton Fire Department encourages residents to embrace the campaign theme. “Cooking safety starts with you,” said Fire Chief Deb Pendergast. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

Alton Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

Establish safe zones. Have a kid- and pet-free zone of at least 3 feet around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

Alton Fire Department will hold a series of events in support of this year’s prevention campaign, including an open house on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the headquarters station. It will also partner with the Gilman Library for Story Hour with a firefighter on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 10:30 a.m.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.