Cooking Safety

Last year in Minnesota, the leading cause of structure fires was cooking.  Cooking fires caused nearly $6 million in damage last year in MN.

The top two factors in cooking fires were unattended equipment and combustibles too close to a heat source.

Follow these guidelines to prevent cooking fires:

• Stay in the kitchen, or attend your cooking apparatus when cooking.
• If you leave the room, turn off the stove and move the pan off the burner.
• Keep things that can burn (oven mitts, towels, wooden spoons, etc.) at least three feet from the stove or flame.
• Avoid loose-fitting clothing that can easily catch fire.

If a fire starts, turn off the heat source and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid if possible.