Every year there are a large amount of home fires that begin in the kitchen.  Some of these are small and easily contained while others quickly get out of hand.  At Restore Pro, we see several house fires each year and the devastation that can occur.  A fire in your kitchen is not only a tragedy in that many of your belongings are lost and property is damaged, but it is also a disruption to your life.

A large fire in your household kitchen typically means you’ll need to find a place to live until the fire damage is repaired.  Additionally, your schedule will be interrupted with insurance and contractor phone calls.  Your favorite items may be lost to the damage or in need of professional cleaning.  And younger children may have  bouts of anxiety making for emotional outbreaks.

Do yourself a favor this year and read through our tips below for operating safely within your kitchen to prevent kitchen fires.

• Don’t leave items cooking on the stove without observing them. Pots can boil over quickly and grease fires can splatter and ignite flammable material nearby.
• Keep a fire extinguisher within reach making sure it is designed for kitchen grease fires. If you must use the fire extinguisher spray to the side of the fire sweeping over the flames.  Do not spray directly into a pan as the force of the blast will splash the grease everywhere.
• Never use water to put out a kitchen fire as the grease reacts with water and will cause splatter, burns, and spread the fire.
• Keep flammable material away from the stove. Loose articles of clothing, pot holders, kitchen towels, and curtains are all susceptible to igniting when too close to hot elements.
• Use proper cooking vessels to prepare and cook your food. Glassware that isn’t tempered for ovens or plastics can melt and ignite on the heating element of a stove.  Using the wrong pan for items that drip grease will cause a fire as well.
• Above all else, make sure you have a working smoke alarm in your kitchen and keep fresh batteries on hand.

Using these tips as a helpful guide will reduce your risk for a kitchen fire and save you from the hassle of a disruption that a fire can cause.  At Restore Pro, we understand how quickly a fire can spring up.  Within seconds a little fire can find purchase and turn into a catastrophe.  If you do experience a fire, know that you can give us a call.

Our Fire Damage Restoration team is on hand to help you with your fire emergencies.  Call us at 1-800-847-0114 to discuss our Fire Damage Restoration solutions or visit our Facebook page to learn more at https://www.facebook.com/RestorePro911.