Campus Fire Safety Month moves into the kitchen this week, with UH Fire Marshal Bob Bowden cooking up tips to keep every Cougar’s culinary endeavors safe.
Bowden warns students that cooking fires are the most common type of fires on college campuses, and unattended pots and pans are the No. 1 reason for these fires.
"Always keep an eye on your cooking and stay in the kitchen," Bowden said. "This is especially important when children or pets are around."
Bowden recommends avoiding loose-fitting clothing when cooking, as it can cause a fire hazard. Turning pot handles inward also prevents unwanted food spills and burns.
The Center for Campus Fire Safety urges students to keep up with cleaning in the kitchen. As food and grease builds up on cooking surfaces, the chances of a fire increase. Solvents and flammable cleaners should be stored away from cooking appliances.
"Disabling smoke alarms or smoke detectors when cooking is never a good idea, even if the slightest amount of smoke triggers ‘nuisance alarms,’" Bowden said. "You could forget to turn the smoke detector back on after cooking, effectively deactivating your first line of defense."
In the event of a fire, there are several ways students can subdue the blaze, but methods differ depending on the type of fire.
To smother a grease or oil fire, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the heat, Bowden said. Never carry the pan outside, and never use water on a grease fire.
"The reason for not using water on grease fires is that there could be a steam explosion where the water converts into steam instantly due to the temperature of the oil," Bowden said. "Cooking oil also floats on water. If it was spilled and on fire, your fire can float away from you."
Oven or broiler fires can be put out by shutting the oven door and turning off the heat, Bowden said. Other food-related fires can be subdued by using baking soda, although Bowden recommends having a multi-purpose ABC-rated fire extinguisher nearby.
For outdoor barbecues, the center recommends placing grills at least 10 feet away from houses or buildings. Being able to control flare-ups is also a key aspect in keeping grills safe.
"Some people use a water pistol, others use just a glass of water and sprinkle it where needed," Bowden said. "For fires larger than flare-ups, people have used wet sand, baking soda, a sodium bicarbonate extinguisher or a multi-purpose fire extinguisher."
