NFPA report notes cooking leading cause of home fires

Attention to safety can prevent nearly all cooking fires. Cooking was involved in an estimated 146,400 home structure fires in the United States in 2005, according to a National Fire Protection Association report released recently. Cooking fires accounted for 40 percent of the home structure fires in 2005, and these cooking fires resulted in 480 deaths, 4,690 injuries and $876 million in direct property damage. According to a "Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment" report, cooking equipment left unattended was a factor in ignition in 38 percent of home structure fires for 2002-2005.

Unattended cooking was the leading contributing factor in home cooking fires, followed by combustibles too close to a heat source, and equipment being unintentionally turned on or not turned off.

Cooking was also the leading cause of home fire injuries, accounting for 36 percent of home structure fire injuries in 2005. These injuries were especially likely to occur during attempts to fight the fire.

In home structure fires involving cooking equipment for 2002-2005, 59 percent of injuries occurred while fighting the fire, compared to 35 percent of injuries in all other types of home structure fires.

"Cooking results in more home fires and fire injuries in the U.S. each year than anything else and nearly all of these fires can be prevented with a little extra care," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA's vice president of communications.

"Simply paying attention when you are cooking will keep your dinner and everything else from getting burned."

Home cooking fires peak between 5 to 7 p.m. Extra cooking, as on major holidays, often means extra home cooking fires. Typically, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.

NFPA offers these safety tips.

-- Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If leaving the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

-- If simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly and remain in the home while food is cooking.

-- Use a timer to remind you that you're cooking.

-- To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

-- Keep anything that can catch fire -- potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, boxes, food packaging, towels or curtains -- away from the stovetop.

-- Keep the stovetop, burners and oven clean.

-- Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.

-- Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and can catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.