Apartment Cooking Fires
Six p.m., March 30. 2008, a woman steps out of her fifth-floor apartment to take her dog for a walk, when she returns she finds her apartment full of thick smoke. She had been cooking some food, which she left on the stove when she went out which resulted in her kitchen becoming enveloped in flames. (Staten Island Advance 3/31/08)
A 78-year-old woman was killed and her 98-year-old mother injured on January 19, 2008 after a fire began in the kitchen of the Bronx apartment that they shared together. Apparently the younger of the two women reached over the stove, where she was boiling water for oatmeal, and the robe she was wearing ignited. It appears that her mother attempted to assist her in putting out the fire, but was unable to. (Talk Bronx New York 1/20/2008)
The above incidents are just two of the scores of examples of apartment kitchen fires in our area and throughout the nation. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) home cooking fires in the United States resulted in over 146,400 fires in 2005. These cooking fires attributed to 4690 injuries, 480 deaths and & 876 million in property damage. Forty-eight percent of all apartment fires start in the kitchen (fairfaxva.gov).
So, how do we deal with this? The NFPA suggests that we all follow these safety tips when cooking:
• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility,
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen, even for a short time, turn off the stove,
• Keep anything that can catch fire-potholders, towels or curtains – away from you stovetop,
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is being prepared,
• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire,
• Never use a wet over mitt, as it presents a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated,
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until it is completely cool.
Even with all of these precautions, apartment residents may still be put in the position of dealing with a kitchen fire, whether it is in their apartment or that of someone else living in their building.
Always remember to call the fire department before attempting to fight any fire. Next, notify and evacuate all building inhabitants. If the fire is contained to a small area and is not growing, a fire extinguisher may be used to extinguish the fire. Fires are very unpredictable therefore, always keep your back to a clear exit in order to make an easy escape.
The NFPA endorses the following guidelines for apartment fires:
• If you discover a fire, sound the alarm and call the fire department,
• Listen carefully to any directions that might come over your buildings public address system,
• Unless you see smoke or fire, follow your planned evacuation plans.
It helps to be prepared and plan ahead:
• Know where to find and how to use your building’s fire alarms,
• Learn the sound of your buildings fire alarm,
• Practice your home evacuation plan, assuring that your family knows where to go if the fire alarm sounds,
• Know at leate two escape routes from every room in your apartment, and learn every exit from your building,
• You may have to escape in the dark, therefore count and remember how many doors are between your apartment and the two nearest building exits.
If you can escape safely:
• Exit quickly, close all doors behind you (this will slow the spread of fire and smoke,
• If you encounter smoke or flames, use another escape route. If you have to escape through smoke, crawl low to the floor. Heat and smoke rise and cleaner air will be 1 to 2 feet from the floor,
• Test doors before you open them. If they feel warm or hot, do not attempt to open them, if they are cool, open them carefully and be ready to slam the closed if fire is present,
• Only use the stairs to exit the building, never use an elevator.
• Never return to the building after you exit, if you know that someone is still trapped inside the building alert the fire department.
If you can not escape safely:
• If possible, go to a room with an outside window and a telephone, closing all of the doors between you and the fire,
• Use duct tape or stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags or bedding and cover all vents to keep the smoke out of the room,
• If you have access to a phone, call the fire department and inform them of your exact whereabouts,
• Wait at a window, if possible, alert the fire department of your location by shining a flashlight or waving a sheet or light colored cloth,
• Attempt to open the window at the top and bottom to allow fresh air to get in. However, close it quickly if smoke from outside comes in. Do not break the window.
An apartment fire can be very frightening. If you follow the above guidelines, you will be better prepared in the event of a fire in your building.