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Prevent cooking fires
Every year, too many people burn themselves or cause fires while cooking. In Laval, 22% of fires are related to cooking, with 71% caused by overheated oil.
Why are there so many cooking fires?
In Quebec, more than half of residential fires are caused by one of these three human errors:
- Distraction
- Negligence
- Misuse of equipment
To avoid ending up with a burnt-down house, it’s important to stay vigilant.
How to prevent a cooking fire
Here are some tips to cook safely:
- Don’t fry in a pot filled with oil. Use a CSA or ULC certified deep fryer or air fryer with a thermostat instead.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing.
- Stay close to the stove while cooking.
- Avoid distractions from your phone or TV, for example.
- Use a timer.
- Use oven mitts.
- Use pans with a handle guard.
- Keep pot handles turned toward the center of the stove.
- Make sure children stay away from the stove.
4 things to do when a fire starts on the stove
- To put out a fire in a pan or pot, place a proper lid on the container. Then, safely turn off the stove.
- Never move a pan or pot that’s on fire.
- Never throw anything on the fire, especially not water on hot oil.
- Even if you think the fire is out, don’t take any risks—call 911.