Home Properties : Cooking & Fire Safety Tips for Apartment Living

8/25/2016

Cooking can provide a wonderful outlet for relaxation and creativity - not to mention a great opportunity for socialization and fun entertaining friends and family! But, did you know that unattended cooking is the #1 cause of household fires?

Here are some helpful tips that will assist you with cooking safely in your apartment home:

Be Alert and Aware

• Avoid cooking when you're tired.
• Never leave your apartment with anything cooking on the stove top or in the oven.
• Stay in the kitchen while you're cooking.
• If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the stove or use a timer to remind yourself that something is cooking.

Use Caution

• Clear cooking areas of items that can catch fire (e.g., towels, oven mitts, utensils, curtains, food packaging, etc.), and be cautious with loose-fitting clothing near burners.
• Grease and fats are highly susceptible to ignition, so frying has the greatest risk of fire.
• Do not store items in your oven or broiler drawer.

Fire Safety Tips

• If you have a small cooking fire on the stove top, turn off the burner and try sliding a lid over the pan. Keep the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For a small oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed.
• An all-purpose fire extinguisher may be used on small fires. Never throw water on grease or electrical fires.

When in Doubt - Get Out!

• If there is a fire, leave the apartment immediately and close the door. Do not return for any reason.
• If possible, try to alert your neighbors when leaving the building.
• Call 9-1-1 from a safe location outside the apartment building.

For more information, please visit the National Fire Protection Association website.

Your safety, and the safety of everyone in your apartment community, is extremely important!