Fire in the kitchen!! Holidays are HUGE kitchen fire risks in Bronxville, NY 10708 homes

Fire in the kitchen!! Hillary’s Holiday Kitchen and Home Fire Safety tips in Bronxville, NY  10708

The holiday season brings us lots of cheer and launches our end of year festivities, with great homecooked meals, pine trees and candles or decorations! 

However, it's also the time of year when most kitchen and home fires flare up.  Fires can be devastating and even deadly, especially when loved ones visit and we share a glass of wine or two, and then turn our backs on a stoves and oven. Don't be a fire victim!  

When these devastating fires occur, they do a great deal of damage and can be deadly for homeowners who try to put them out, instead of leaving the structure for safety!  Property losses during a holiday fire are 34% greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities per thousand is nearly 70% higher than an average calendar day each year. 

Unfortunately, the holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires.  The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports that more than double the number of open-flame fires begin on Thanksgiving, with about 400 related deaths in 2010.  There are more incidents on Christmas Day, plus the home fires burning from trees in homes that catch fire from electrical sources or proximity to a fireplace or candles by New Year’s Day.  Christmas and Chanukah trees dry out in just one month, so keep watering them.

So, take note of these tips to reduce your risk over Thanksgiving weekend, with family over and lots of distractions – and, throughout the holidays and New Year celebrations!:

Fire hazards around the oven or stovetop can easily be overlooked, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building and life safety. Servpros – like the independent company one that my husband and I own in the lower Hud -- want everyone to be aware of fire safety throughout the holidays, whether you are making meals for two or 20 loved ones.

Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and related injuries in the U.S.  The NFPA reported that from 2005 through 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 155,400 home fires per year involving cooking equipment. These fires caused an annual average of 390 civilian deaths, 4,800 civilian injuries, and $771 million in direct property damage.

To reduce the risk of cooking fires this holiday, our Servpro joins the NFPA in recommending the following safety tips: 

1. Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains away from the stovetop.
2. Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, or broiling food – especially that high temperature turkey!  If you have to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, have someone stay there for you, or just turn off the stove until you return.
3. When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
4. Stay alert. If you are sleepy or consumed alcohol, have someone with you while using a stove or grill at home. 

If you have a cooking fire…just get out and call 9-1-1 ! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.  We hope that you never need us, but you want water certified professionals helping you get back to normal, especially if firefighters have to water suppress the flames to save your home or business.

A few last facts and tips:

Candles ~ The incidence of candle fires is four times higher during late November and December than during other months.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, four of the five most dangerous days of the year for residential candle fires are Christmas/Christmas Eve and New Year’s/New Year’s Eve. (The fifth is Halloween.)  To reduce the danger, maintain about a foot of space between the candle and anything that can burn. Set candles on sturdy bases or cover with hurricane globes. Never leave flames unattended. Before bed, walk through each room to make sure candles are blown out. For atmosphere without worry, consider flameless LED candles.

Christmas trees ~ It takes less than 30 seconds for a dry tree to engulf a room in flames, according to the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Standards and Technology.  “They make turpentine out of pine trees,” notes Tom Olshanski, spokesman for the U.S. Fire Administration. “A Christmas tree is almost explosive when it goes.”  To minimize risk, buy a fresh tree with intact needles, get a fresh cut on the trunk, and water it every day. A well-watered tree is almost impossible to ignite. Keep the tree away from heat sources, such as a fireplace or radiator, and out of traffic patterns. If you’re using live garlands and other greenery, keep them at least three feet away from heating sources.  No matter how well the tree is watered, it will start to dry out after about four weeks, Olshanski says, so take it down after the holidays. Artificial trees don’t pose much of a fire hazard; just make sure yours is flame-retardant.

Decorative lights ~ Inspect light strings, and throw out any with frayed or cracked wires or broken sockets. When decorating, don’t run more than three strings of lights end to end. “Stacking the plugs is much safer when you’re using a large quantity of lights,” explains Brian L. Vogt, director of education for holiday lighting firm Christmas Décor. Extension cords should be in good condition and UL-rated for indoor or outdoor use. Check outdoor receptacles to make sure the ground fault interrupters don’t trip. If they trip repeatedly, Vogt says, that’s a sign that they need to be replaced. When hanging lights outside, avoid using nails or staples, which can damage the wiring and increase the risk of a fire. Instead, use UL-rated clips or hangers. And take lights down within 90 days, says John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety for Underwriters Laboratories.  “If you leave them up all year round, squirrels chew on them and they get damaged by weather.”

Kids playing with matches ~ The number of blazes—and, tragically, the number of deaths—caused by children playing with fire goes up significantly during the holidays. From January through March, 13% of fire deaths are the result of children playing with fire, the USFA reports; in December, that percentage doubles.  So keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach. “We tend to underestimate the power of these tools,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the nonprofit Home Safety Council.  “A match or lighter could be more deadly than a loaded gun in the hands of a small child.”

Fireplaces ~ Soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote, so before the fireplace season begins, have your chimney inspected to see if it needs cleaning. Screen the fireplace to prevent embers from popping out onto the floor or carpet, and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace. Only burn seasoned, dry wood—with no wrapping paper as an incendiary.  When cleaning out the fireplace, put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal. 

So, winter’s officially on the way and most of us are cooking for events, putting up a holiday tree and have turned the heat up at home.  However, heating equipment — especially portable space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves — require careful use, so we don’t have a horrible holiday fire situation.  So, be careful and be sure to get those boilers checked!  Our Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon cleans puffbacks, when the boiler goes and emits soot and debris onto every surface of your home through your vents.  We’re here, but if you properly maintain your boiler, you won’t need our fire cleanup services.

Contacts:

Contact your local fire station, if you have any question about a natural gas smell or smoke in a home or business.  Also, you can call us if you need a complimentary Disaster Response Plan for fire recovery as an Emergency Plan for your business.  Or, contact us with any questions about preventing or cleaning up after a boiler “puffback,” especially a kitchen fire at home at:  914-699-5181.  

We make it “like it never even happened,” if there is a fire or water damage emergency your home, or office.  Have a SAFE happy, healthy and enjoyable holiday season.

 ~ Hillary & Forrest Sheperd

Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon  ~ Fire, water & mold remediation