Rangetop and Oven Cooking Safety

Paul Davis emergency response teams all too often see the dangerous and damaging results of cooking fires. Whether homeowners cook with gas or propane, electric or induction, cooking fires have long been the primary cause of residential fires. Knowing rangetop and oven do’s and don’ts greatly lowers cooking fire hazards in the home. We encourage everyone to practice these safety do’s to reduce stove and oven fire hazards and to let others know how to practice safe cooking.

  • Always stay in the kitchen when cooking. Fires can ignite instantly and grow fast when stoves and ovens are unattended.
  • Tie up long hair and avoid loose jewelry and clothing with long sleeves. Footwear prone to slipping should be avoided, too.
  • Tell children that the kitchen cooking area - stove, oven and microwave - is a ‘kid-free zone’ and to stay at least two feet away.
  • Use back burners when possible, and pots sized properly for the burner.
  • Turn off burners and oven as soon as cooking is finished.
  • Use well-insulated oven mitts and sturdy oven sticks, but keep them a safe distance from flames or high-heat surfaces.
  • Position oven racks properly before pre-heating.
  • The smell of leaking gas is a signal that something is wrong. Quickly turn off the oven or stovetop, open a window and leave the room.
  • Pot lids, a box of baking soda and a fire extinguisher nearby can prove vital to quickly extinguishing a small kitchen fire.

Avoid these common and dangerous kitchen missteps.

  • Allowing stoves and ovens to accumulate grease residue and burnt food particles. This increases cooking fire hazards.
  • Don’t store pots, pans, and other kitchen items in the oven or on the stove.
  • Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Also, using flour or fanning flames only feeds a fire.
  • Waiting to call 911 until a fire is too large for you to quickly extinguish. Call right away, then leave immediately.

Paul Davis emergency response is 24/7. Should someone you know require prompt and professional repair and restoration following a kitchen fire, be sure to tell them: Call Paul!