IN THE KITCHEN

• Stay in the kitchen, and don’t leave cooking food unattended (stand by your pan)
• Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves. Long, loose sleeves are more likely to catch fire or get caught on pot handles
• Don’t become distracted. Never cook if you are sleepy, intoxicated, or heavily medicated
• Enforce a kid-free zone of 3-feet around your stove. Turn pot handles inward facing the wall to prevent burns caused by overturning or spills
• Keep the area around the stove clear of towels, papers, or anything that could burn
• Cook at indicated temperature settings rather than higher settings
• Regularly clean your cooking equipment so there are no cooking materials, food trimmings, or grease accumulation
• Have a pot lid handy to smother a pan fire. Do not attempt to pick up the pot or pan. Shut off the heat and cover the fire with a lid
• Do not use water. It will cause splashing and spread the fire
• You can also use baking soda to smother a fire, but do NOT use baking powder as baking powder can increase a fire
• Keep an ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher near the kitchen
• Be careful around the sink while using electrical appliances. Electrical appliances near water could cause electrocution. Never stand in or near water while using an electrical appliance
• Check regularly for frayed or damaged cords to appliances. Plug one appliance in a receptacle at a time. If you need to plug more appliances into a receptacle than there are plugs, use a surge protector or have a professional electrician install more receptacles
• Keep appliances in proper working order. Do not use them if they are defective
• Keep appliance cords as short as possible. This helps to keep from tripping or knocking the appliance over
• If you have a fire in your microwave oven, do not open the door. Close the door to the microwave if you do open it and unplug it immediately. Do not use the microwave again until a professional has checked it
• Never put metallic materials in the microwave oven. These materials cause sparks, which may result in a fire
• Remember that steam escaping from a pan or container can cause severe burns. Open food that has been cooked in the microwave carefully
• Keep your emergency numbers near the telephone
• Always call the fire department for any fire, even if the fire has been completely extinguished
• Have a fire evacuation plan and practice it with your family!

ON THE GRILL

The careless use of open-flame cooking devices, as well as improper disposal of coals and embers, have historically been the cause of numerous fires at multi-family type occupancies such as apartment and condominium complexes, displacing families and resulting in millions of dollars in property damage. As a result, the use of open-flame cooking appliances at multi-family complexes subsequently became part of the North Carolina Fire Code. The provisions in the code read:

• Section 308.3.1, "Open-flame cooking devices: charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction”
• Section 308.3.1.1, "Liquified-petroleum (LP) gas-fueled cooking devices: LP-gas burners having an LP-gas container with a water capacity greater than 2.5 pounds [nominal 1 pound LP-gas capacity] shall not be located on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction." Note: grilling laws DO NOT apply to one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes

Grilling Safety Tips

• Only use your grill outside. Keep a 3-feet safe zone around your grill to keep kids and pets safe
• Clean your grill after each use. This will remove grease that can start a fire
• Never use charcoal lighter fluid on a burning fire
• Keep an ABC fire extinguisher or charged garden hose accessible
• Always shut off the valve to propane tanks when not in use
• Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and installation instructions
• When lighting gas grills, leave the grill hood open until ignition occurs
• Do not grill near combustible materials such as pine needles or leaves
• Keep an eye on your grill and don’t walk away from them when they are lit
• Never dispose of charcoal, wood chip or pellet ash in a combustible container