Governor Snyder Proclaims October 6-12 as Fire Prevention Week; “Get Cookin’ With Fire Safety” Cooking is the leading cause of home fires; Smoke alarms, home escape plan are essential

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 4, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Rick Snyder has proclaimed October 6-12 as Fire Prevention Week in Michigan with the theme “Prevent Kitchen Fires.” Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, and a significant contributor to home fire deaths and injuries. Two of every five home fires start in the kitchen, more than any other place in the home.

“Public awareness about kitchen fires is so important because of the loss of life, serious injuries and property damage,” said State Fire Marshal Richard Miller. “Kitchen fires are the most common and difficult type of fire to suppress because people tend to panic. They tend to pour water on it but it will only make the fire bigger. It is a different type of fire that takes a different approach to extinguish.”

In 2012, home fires killed more than 58 people in Michigan. Fire departments throughout the state responded to 15,256 home fires, according to the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Cooking equipment, heating and electrical equipment, smoking materials, and lit candles are among the leading causes of all reported home fires.

“Cook with Caution” by following a few safety tips to prevent kitchen fires:

Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.
Turn off the stove if you must leave the kitchen even for a short period of time.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly and set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep kids at least three feet away from the stove.
Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.
Keep a fully charged fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen and be prepared to use it in an emergency.

If You Have A Cooking Fire…

Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Call 9-1-1 to alert the local fire department.
Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

According to Miller, nearly two-thirds of home structure fire deaths occur in homes where there is no smoke alarm or where smoke alarms are present but fail to operate because the batteries have been removed. Having working smoke alarms cuts the risk of dying in reported home fires in half and having automatic fire sprinkler systems in the home cuts the risk of dying in a home fire by about 80 percent.

“Many homes still have only one smoke alarm and that is simply not enough,” Miller said. “There should be working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom and in the basement.”

Miller recommends installing the 10-year lithium battery powered smoke alarm that is sealed and cannot be tampered with, and the newer, interconnected smoke alarms that offer the best protection because when one sounds, they all do. Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month using the test button and the batteries replaced every year.

“It’s also so important to have a home fire escape plan and practice it because fire is unpredictable and moves fast,” Miller explained. “You may have only seconds to escape. In less than three minutes, your home could be totally engulfed in flames, so every family member should know how to react quickly and calmly.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), less than 25 percent of American households have developed and practiced a fire escape plan to be prepared for a real emergency.

When developing a home fire escape plan:

Draw a map of each level of your home and show all doors and windows. Find two ways to get out of each room. Know the safest exit route.
Make sure all doors and windows that lead outside open easily and that every family member understands and practices how to properly operate and open locked windows and doors.
Practice crawling low — necessary for escaping through smoke which contains toxic gases, which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.
Designate a safe meeting location a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet once they have escaped, such as at the end of the driveway.
Never go back into a burning home for any reason.
Make sure everyone in your home knows how to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

The Michigan Bureau of Fire Services joins the NFPA and other state and national organizations in recognizing Fire Prevention Week. The NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 91 years making it the longest-running public health and safety observance on record. For more information about preventing fires and staying safe, go to the NFPA official Fire Prevention Week website at www.firepreventionweek.org

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Contact: Melanie Brown 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs