Top Fire Causes

Be on alert! Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food.
Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
When frying heat oil slowly to the temperature you need for frying or sautéing.
Add food gently to the pot or pan so the oil does not splatter.
Keep anything that can catch fire -- oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains -- away from your stovetop.

Cooking Fire Facts

Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turning off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
If the fire does not go out or you don’t feel comfortable sliding a lid over the pan, get everyone out of your home and Dial 9-1-1.

Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
NEVER use your oven to heat your home.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container.
Half of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing mattresses or bedding.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

Most home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters.
Nearly half (48%) of all home heating fires occurred in December, January, and February.
The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (25%) was a failure to clean, principally from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.

Check electrical cords to make sure the wires are not damaged, cracked, or loose. If the cords need to be repaired, take the item to a professional repair shop, hire an electrician or replace it with a new item.
DO NOT run cords across doorways or under carpets.
Plug only one heat-producing appliance in each outlet to prevent wiring from overheating.
Light bulbs in the living area of your home, such as closets, should have a shade or globe for protection. Light bulbs can get very hot and cause a fire if something that can burn is too close.
Heat-producing appliances such as a toaster, coffee maker, iron, or microwave oven draw a lot of electricity.
Call a qualified electrician if you have:
- Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers
- A tingling feeling when you touch an electrical appliance
- Discolored or warm wall outlets
- A burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance
- Flickering or dimming lights
- Sparks from an outlet

Electrical distribution or lighting equipment ranked first in direct property damage, third among the major fire causes in the number of home fires, fourth in home fire deaths, and tied for third in home fire injuries.
Wiring and related equipment accounted for 7 percent of all home fires and nine percent of all home fire deaths.
Cords or plugs were involved in only one percent of home fires but seven percent of the deaths. Extension cords dominated the cord or plug category.
Many existing homes can’t handle the demands of today’s electrical appliances and devices. The warning signs are everywhere including flickering lights, circuit breakers that constantly trip, and cracked electrical cords.

Most deaths result from fires that started in living rooms, family rooms, dens, or bedrooms.
NEVER smoke or allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal. It can make an existing fire burn faster and hotter.

Most deaths result from fires that started in living rooms, family rooms, dens, or bedrooms.
NEVER smoke or allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal. It can make an existing fire burn faster and hotter.

Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
Use candle holders that are sturdy and won’t tip over easily.
Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.
Don’t burn a candle all the way down — put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage.

December is the peak month for home candle fires.
More than one-third of home candle fires started in the bedroom.
Three of every five candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.