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Category: Home and Apartments : Safety
If the heats too high - get out of the kitchen
Each year fire departments across the United States respond to over 2 million fires. Fire is the third leading cause of death in the USA and the great majority (approximately 80 percent) of those fires happen at home.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) wants to make sure that you and your family know how to prevent fires as well as what to do in case of a fire.
The kitchen is a common place for a fire to start due to cooking mishaps. The following information will help you and your family keep your kitchen safe from fire!
Fires in the kitchen
Although it may sound silly, you should always wear a short sleeve shirt while cooking as it is very easy for a long sleeved shirt or flowing sleeved blouse to come into contact with the flames from a stove. And, even if what you are preparing does not require a lid, always keep a lid readily available to cover pots and pans in case a fire should occur in the pan. If a grease fire should occur never put water on a cooking fire just slide that nearby lid over the pan, and turn the burner off. The lid will help to smother the flames as it will deprive the fire of oxygen.
If a fire starts in the oven, close the oven door and turn off the heat. If the flames do not go out immediately, call the fire department.
If you are using a microwave oven and a fire starts inside the microwave, do not open the door to the microwave as by doing this you will provide oxygen to the fire only making it worse. Leave the door shut and turn off the microwave oven.
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure that it is a Class ABC extinguisher with a testing laboratory label. Fire extinguisher work either by cooling or depriving a fire of oxygen (as typified by a bucket of water or bucket of sand), and most do both. All fire extinguishers come with directions on the proper use, however the following steps will help you learn the proper way to use a fire extinguisher.
Pull the pin
Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames
Squeeze the trigger while holding the fire extinguisher upright
Use a sweeping motion (side to side) to cover the area where the fire is located
What to do if your clothes catch on fire
If your clothes catch on fire - do not panic. Stop immediately, drop to the floor, cover your eyes with your hands and roll over and over. This motion will help extinguish the fire. If a friend or family member's clothes catch on fire, don't let them run. If they begin to run, yell for them to stop immediately. Instruct them to drop to the floor, cover their eyes with their hands and roll over and over. Once they are rolling use a rug, blanket or towel to help put the flames out.
What exactly is fire?
Fire is a chemical reaction involving rapid oxidation or burning of fuel. Burning is nothing more than the rapid oxidation of fuel in which heat and usually light are produced.
A fire needs three elements to occur:
Fuel: fuel can be any combustible material, solid, liquid or gas. Most solids and liquids becomes a vapor gas before they begin to burn.
Oxygen: The air that we breathe is 21% oxygen. A fire only needs 16 percent.
Energy: A fire needs energy to increase the temperature of the fuel to a point where the materials, which are given off the vapors, are hot enough for ignition to occur.
For more information, contact your local fire district.
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