Skip to main content

Disaster Restoration Services

Serving New England since 1990

   24 Hour Emergency Services

(603) 641-6555

24 Hour Emergency Services

(603) 641-6555

Top Causes of Kitchen Fires

Written by jsolloway on . Posted in , , .

While the days are cooling off with the pending arrival of fall, many people will pack up their summer picnic basket and exchange it for fall cuisines and cooking at home. There’s something about a delicious home-cooked meal that gets your mouth watering. While many people take cooking safety for granted; it should be clear that most home fires start in the kitchen. Before turning on that burner, it’s important to know the top causes of kitchen fires.

Most common causes of kitchen fires

Before preparing that pan and flipping on the burner, there are a few things you should look out for:

  • Unattended cooking equipment: leaving your food while your attention is held elsewhere, even for a short period of time, can have disastrous results
  • Food: two-thirds of all kitchen fires have begun when the food in the pan has erupted into flames
  • Frying: there are many ways to cook food on the stove, but frying is the most common way that a fire can start, mainly because hot oil is so unpredictable and can splatter onto open flame.
  • Clothing: while clothing isn’t always involved in a kitchen fire, it is one of the leading causes of kitchen fire deaths

Safety tips to avoid kitchen disasters

It goes without saying that you should never leave food unattended. If you leave the room, turn off the burner. Other safety tips are:

  • Never hang towels, potholders, or any other type of cloth on, or over the stove where it can catch fire.
  • Keep your stovetop clean. Buildup of fat and food particles can easily start kitchen fires
  • Never cook if you’re under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs. You need to be able to function with a clear head in these situations
  • Ventilation: make sure your ventilation is working properly. If it’s blocked, you may have a potentially dangerous situation on your hands, particularly if you’re using a gas stove.
  • Water can be a dangerous thing if you’re cooking with oil. If you’re frying food that has been rinsed, dry it well before cooking. Also, if a pan fire has begun, never put it out with water, it can erupt and spread, cover it with a lid to smother it.
  • Stove tops aren’t the only way to cook. Microwave safely; never put anything metallic in the microwave, nor dry clothes in it.
  • If you’re cooking a romantic candlelit dinner, make sure you use wider, shorter candles as they will be less likely to tip over. And always remember to extinguish them after your dinner.

In case of a fire damage emergency

If a fire does erupt in your kitchen and your family has made it out safely, you may need help in restoring your home. Soil-Away Cleaning and Restoration can help. With over 25 years of experience in cleaning up and repairing damage after kitchen fires, they will not only repair soot and structural damage, they will also remove any smoke odor left behind. For quick, efficient service 24/7 call Soil-Away at 603-641-6555. You can count on them. They will get you up and running.

Written by E. Aceves

Contact Us Now

Search for:

Jay KorsenJay Korsen
00:51 04 Aug 22
All I have to say is WOW and FANTASTIC. I just got done building out my new professional office with Soil-Away’s construction division and they went ABOVE and BEYOND. Scott and Mike, the carpenters are skilled artisans. The project got done on time and the project came in on budget! The finished results have been blowing people away. Much better than I could have anticipated. Anyone is welcome to come to our office, Bright Light Chiropractic in Hooksett to check out the fine work they did. Simply can’t sing enough praises for them. Sorry that the picture doesn’t do the job justice. Thank you Jack and your team. -Dr. Jay
Asian BreezeAsian Breeze
04:28 15 Jul 22
Since day one, I’ve known the owner, Jack, to be a hard-working and selfless leader. Through the efforts of him and his team, he was able to restore my flooded restaurant to tip-top shape. I was amazed with Jack’s orderliness throughout the entire process. Jack has proven to me that he is trustworthy, as both a friend and an individual in the work environment.
Breton LangendorferBreton Langendorfer
21:17 07 Jul 22
Highly recommend Soil-Away. A pipe in our upstairs bathroom gave and sent water down through a wall for at least a day before we noticed water dripping through our kitchen ceiling. Our insurance put us in touch with Soil-Away and they were at our house the next morning to assess the damage and dry things out. Joe, Ray and Tom were phenomenal to work with. They explained every part of the process to us and were very professional and friendly. If you have to deal with similar issues call Soil-Away, you won’t regret it.
Maureen CidzikMaureen Cidzik
13:49 15 May 22
Superior service from start to finish. Highly responsive. The entire team is dedicated to quality and customer care and it shows in everything they do – from first call, to estimate, to job completion.
Sarah GrugnaleSarah Grugnale
16:02 14 Jan 22
Joe and Tommy were amazing to deal with, they kept us updated every step of the process. They were punctual and hard working, answering all of our questions that we had. Everything was done as promised and even above and beyond. A great experience from start to finish.
js_loader