Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services Reminds Residents to “Prevent Kitchen Fires”

(Frederick, MD, September 26, 2013) – The Frederick Board of County Commissioners and Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services held a joint public information briefing today to announce their plans to join forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to “Prevent Kitchen Fires” during Fire Prevention Week from October 6 through 12. During this year’s fire safety campaign, emergency medical services (EMS), fire and rescue companies throughout Frederick County will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires, most of which result from unattended cooking, and teaching local residents how to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place. According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen, more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries. “Often when we’re called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents tell us that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said Chief Denise Pouget of the Frederick County Division of Fire & Rescue Services. “Sadly, that’s all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.” Among the safety tips that EMS, fire, rescue and safety advocates will be emphasizing: • Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food. • If one must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove. • When simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home and use a timer as a reminder. • Have young children? Use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove. • When cooking, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves. • Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels and anything else that can burn, away from a stovetop. • Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops. Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. For further information or assistance in scheduling a fire prevention event, contact the Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, Fire and Life Safety Committee Chairperson Sherry Soper at 301-514-0019 or via e-mail at prevention1@yahoo.com or Community Services Liaison Doug Brown at 301-600-1905 or via e-mail at dbrown@frederickcountymd.gov.