Stockton Fire Department’s reminders as Fire Prevention Week approaches

The Stockton Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM (FPW) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire preventionTM.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. 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.”

The Stockton Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, relaying that cooking safety starts with YOU. A cooking fire can grow quickly. Many homes have been damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

The local fire department 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.

• Have a “kid- and petfree zone” of at least three feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill, and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.