Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8 - 14, 2023: "Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”
Right: CCFR photo of CCFR officials and Citrus County Commissioners at avrecent Citrus County Board of County Commissioners meeting.
Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR), Citrus County, Florida
Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years, to promote this year’s safety campaign: “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” The aim of the campaign, which runs from Sunday, October 8, through Saturday, October 14, 2023, is to teach people about simple but important actions they can take, when cooking, to keep themselves and others safe.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States, and unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires, by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.
“Cooking safety start with YOU,” said Craig Stevens, CCFR Fire Chief. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
Citrus County Fire Rescue offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:
★ Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
★ Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan, and turn off the burner.
★ When you are cooking, have a kid-free / pet-free zone of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or hot drinks are being prepared or carried.
To find out more about Fire Protection Week programs and activities in Citrus County, please contact Citrus County Fire Rescue by phone at 352-527-5406 or by email at fireinfo@citruscountyfire.com.
For additional information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org.
For fire safety fun for kids, visit Sparky.org.