According to a fire restoration company, Scottsdale, Arizona, most fire incidents in kitchens could easily be avoided if more attention was given to certain aspects of kitchen usage. Most of these might seem commonplace but easy to overlook.
Attend to your stove
We are in an age wherein we do more than one thing at the same time. While this might be productive in certain aspects of life, in the kitchen, this can be dangerous. Nothing on the stove or the grill, for example, should be allowed to cook without being attended to. Even five minutes of neglect can spell the difference between a safe kitchen and a kitchen that is about to start a big fire.
Mind the time
While baking, it is easy for us to depend heavily on the machine’s counter. While for the most part, this is alright, malfunctions are always possible. It is still safer to have another timer on hand while something is baking so that you can be sure not to burn anything even if the time of the oven malfunctions.
Watch the handle
Handles that are in the way could cause spills, burns, and if the pot or pan are oily enough, they can start a disastrous fire. When you are not holding the handles of your pots and pans, it’s safer to turn them into your stove. Better yet, if you can use the rear burners especially if there are children in the kitchen, things would be much safer.
Clean up
Each time you spill something, clean it up immediately. Spills can cause more spills, injuries, etc. Indirectly, these spills can start a fire. If they do not cause damage to you or anyone else in the kitchen with you immediately, the oil buildup could cause fires. This is often also a cause for the spread of fire incidents according to a fire restoration company, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Keep combustibles safe
Anything that could burn easily should be kept away from heat sources. For example, oil, paper, and the stove can spell “FIRE!” Without a doubt, unless you take the combustibles out of the picture and well away from the stove.
Do not overload
If you have one heating element plugged in, do not add another one. Heating appliances like ovens and stoves demand a lot of electricity. Even if there is another socket, it is a bad idea to overload a single electric source.
Test smoke your alarms
Alarms are designed to warn you of small fires. Fires always start with a bit of smoke. It is always a good idea to test your smoke alarms to make sure that they are doing their jobs. Some might be tempted to turn off their alarms if the alarms are sensitive but this is a very bad idea. In fact, this can give you technical issues when you try to get insurance claims in case a fire does happen.
Fire extinguishers are necessary
Home kitchens are just as susceptible to fires as commercial kitchens. Even if you very rarely cook at home, you must always have a fire extinguisher on hand. Of course, this is only really useful if you know how to operate the fire extinguisher as well.
Clean range hoods regularly
Rangehoods are often overlooked. Yet, they are probably the oiliest spot in your kitchen. As you cook, oil debris is left in the rangehood surface. To avoid fire incidents, it is best to clean the superficial surfaces regularly. You should also check on the filters and have your exhaust ducts cleaned and checked by a professional regularly.
After a fire, never use your kitchen without consulting a fire restoration company, Scottsdale, Arizona first.
ASAP Restoration is the most reputable fire restoration company, Scottsdale, Arizona. For fire and smoke damage repair, contact us today and we will be there to help.