汤姆·基斯基（Tom Kiurski）
We don’t normally think that starting an unwanted fire in the kitchen is a good thing to do. Most of our citizens would not throw a kitchen cloth onto a burning stove, intentionally help spread a fire from a pan to the cupboards, or add additional oxygen to get the fire going faster – but it happens in this country far too often. Let’s take a look at how we can use some safety sense in the kitchen to reduce our citizens’ chances of having an unwanted fire.
Cooking is the leading cause of fires and civilian fire injuries in the United States. Two out of three reported home cooking fires start with the range or stove and usually when food, grease, rags, bags, cabinets, curtains, or other common household items ignite. In 2001 alone, there were more than 117,000 home fires involving cooking equipment. These cooking fires resulted in 370 civilian deaths, 4,290 civilian injuries and about $453 million in property damage. And those statistics reflect just those fires that were reported.
The main reason cited for kitchen fires is inattention. Whether leaving the room or leaving the house with the stove on, this action can cause plenty of damage. Often at home, attention is diverted for a short period by the doorbell, phone, radio, television, children, or a pet. Other times, after cooking has started, people forget about it. Once started, the fire can easily spread beyond the initial pot to other combustibles in the area.
Here are some safety tips for your citizens to consider when they are cooking:
- Never leave cooking unattended, and monitor food in the oven.
- 穿短袖或紧身衣服，以免避免与热物体接触的松动衣服。
- If clothing catches fire, remind them of the “Stop, Drop and Roll” behavior to put the fire out.
- Keep kids away from the cooking area by setting up a 3-foot area around the stove that kids should avoid. Keep them close enough to watch, but away from hot objects.
- Use oven mitts when handling hot cooking items.
- 不要在疲倦或吃药时做饭。
- If a pan of food catches fire, don’t use water. Slide the lid over the top and shut off the heat to the burner.
- 如果烤箱里有火，请关闭对设备的热量，然后将门关闭。
Finally, remind your citizens that a call to the fire department will bring fast and professional help. They should not hesitate to call us for any emergency situation that they cannot handle.
Tom Kiurski is a lieutenant, a paramedic, and the director of fire safety education for Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue. His book,Creating a Fire-Safe Community: A Guide for Fire Safety Educators（188金宝搏是正规吗Fire Engineering，1999）是将安全信息带给社区的所有领域的指南。
