Is My Kitchen At Risk For Fire Damage in Hyrum?

The kitchen is often referred to as the ‘heart of the home.’ Where family time is usually centered around meals, this statement is very true for most of us and our kitchen has become a gathering place. Unfortunately, kitchens are also the most common location needing fire damage restoration in homes across the United States. Cooking is the number one cause of house fires every year, and most of those fires could have been prevented. At Sierra Restoration, we want to change that statistic and make our neighbors and clients more aware of and cautious towards kitchen fires. Here are some simple yet impactful things you can implement in your kitchen to help prevent you from needing fire damage restoration as a result of a cooking fire.

Fire Damage Restoration in Hyrum Kitchen Fires

1. First, be sure to have a working smoke detector and fire alarm near your kitchen. These devices are life-saving, and are often the first thing to alert you that there is danger. Be sure that the batteries are changed out regularly in your detectors, and respond to alarms right away. While they may seem like a nuisance when you burn dinner and the alarms go off, they just may save you from a load of fire damage restoration, and even your life.
2. While we are talking about fire precautions, it is a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in your home. Having an extinguisher in an easy-to-access location near the kitchen could make all the difference in a small kitchen fire versus a catastrophic house fire. A fire extinguisher will not do you any good if you do not know how to work it though, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the instruction manual so you are prepared beforehand. A good acronym to help you remember basic fire extinguisher use is PASS:
   • P: pull pin
   • A: aim nozzle at base of fire
   • S: squeeze the top handle or lever
   • S: sweep from side to side
3. Never leave cooking food or hot appliances unattended. Whether you are using the oven, crockpot, or stove top, inattentiveness can result in a fire. Unsupervised heat can spark a flame, even supervised heat can – but at least you have the chance to react when you are present and attentive. Make it a habit to double check that stove top burners, ovens, grills, and any other cooking appliances are all turned off when you are done cooking. When cooking with grease, be sure to be extra cautious. Remember that if a grease fire breaks out, water is not your friend. Have a lid large enough to cover the grease or baking soda nearby when frying to thwart a fire in case one does occur.

Negligence in the kitchen is why cooking fires have become the leading cause of house fires and fire damage restoration across the country, so be extra aware and cautious. If the terrible event of a kitchen fire occurs in your Hyrum home, the fire damage restoration professionals at Sierra Restoration can help. We’re only a call away.