• Keep baking soda easily accessible in case of a grease fire.
• Keep baking sheets or lids for pots and pans close by to smother a fire quickly.
• Have a kitchen fire extinguisher – know its location, what type it is, and how to use it.
• Install battery-powered smoke detectors on each house level and in the garage; test them twice a year.

• Roll up long sleeves when cooking to prevent them from catching fire.
• Turn pot and pan handles towards the back of the stove.
• Maintain a kid-free and pet-free zone three feet around the oven or stove to prevent accidental burns and to keep flammable items out of the area.
• Use a dry oven mitt or potholder, rather than a towel, to remove food from the oven and stove. Towels can easily fall onto a heat source and ignite.
• After cooking, ensure the stove or oven is turned off. Unplug small appliances when not in use.
• Clean up spills on cooking surfaces to prevent grease buildup and potential fires.
• Ensure appliances are completely cool before cleaning.

• Do not use the oven as storage. Preheating an oven filled with storage containers could easily lead to a fire.
• Avoid storing pots, pans, plastic, paper, and cloth above the stove. Items can easily fall onto the stove and catch fire, and individuals can quickly be burned if they reach for an item when the stove is on.
• Store household cleaners away from the stove, oven, and other kitchen heat sources.

Read manufacturer labels to learn if items are oven or microwave-safe or resistant to other heat sources.

Do Not Use in a Microwave

• Aluminum foil
• Metal cookware, utensils, bowls, pans, and measuring cups
• Paper bags
• Recycled paper products, such as napkins and paper towels. They may contain minute metal flecks that can spark.
• Styrofoam
• Twist ties

• To prevent flames, put a baking sheet under foods high in fat or likely to drip.
• Use correct oven settings. Accidentally turning on broil rather than bake may lead to burning food and a potential fire.
• Use thermal-shock-resistant glass in the oven. To avoid the risk of thermal shock, which can cause glass to shatter, do not store glassware in the oven and always preheat the oven before cooking food in glassware.
• When in doubt, always look for cookware or material explicitly labeled oven safe.
• Avoid using wet or damp potholders, oven mitts, or towels. Wet material transfers heat more quickly than dry material and can cause a burn.

Oven-safe Materials

• Aluminum, cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel bakeware (always check the manufacturer's label)
• Aluminum foil
• Parchment paper
• Silicone bakeware
• Tempered glass bakeware

Do Not Use in an Oven

• Cardboard
• Items with wood, plastic, or rubber parts
• Paper products (paper towels or napkins, paper plates, or paper bowls)
• Plastics
• Wax paper
• Wooden items

• Keep toasters unplugged when not in use. If the toaster is located near something flammable, it can spark a fire whether the lever is up or down.
• Clean the toaster regularly. Crumbs that accumulate at the bottom of the toaster can spark a fire.
• Do not force thick foods into a toaster. This may cause the food to get stuck in the toaster, burn, and ignite a fire.

• Heat oil slowly to temperature.
• If the oil smells or starts to smoke, it is getting too hot. Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat.
• Smoke point: Most cooking oils reach their smoke point between 350 to 450 F.
• Flash point: The point where most cooking oils start creating flammable vapors is 600 F.

Deep Fat Frying and Fire Prevention

• Read the manufacturer’s directions before use.
• Keep the fire extinguisher close.
• Keep direct flames away from oil; oil is highly flammable.
• Keep water away from oil when deep-fat frying. Water vaporizes instantly, changing to superheated steam.
• Remove ice crystals from frozen food.
• Pat dry thawed or fresh food before placing it in a deep fryer. 

Cautions

• Never leave a deep fryer unattended.
• Never use plastic when deep frying. It can easily melt.
• Never overcrowd a deep fryer. This can cause uneven cooking and oil to overflow.
• Never deep fry a turkey that weighs more than 12 pounds.
• Never fry a turkey indoors; always fry a turkey outdoors in a safe location.

Choose a fire extinguisher that is large enough for a small fire but not heavy. For home use, a 5-pound fire extinguisher is generally recommended.

Install fire extinguishers close to exits, and keep them at least 30 feet from the stove, if possible. Do not store your fire extinguisher in a cabinet or a hard-to-reach place in the kitchen. In an emergency, it should be easy to grab.

Inspect the fire extinguisher once a month.

• Check the extinguisher’s pressure gauge to ensure it’s still in a safe operating range.
• Inspect the hoses and nozzles for physical damage and check for rust or dents. Clean the outside to remove dust or grease.
• Lift the extinguisher to make sure it is full. If it is light, it may leak.
• Shake chemical extinguishers monthly to prevent the chemicals from solidifying and settling. Read the label on the extinguisher.
• Check the label or attached tag for an expiration date. According to National Fire Protection Association standards, rechargeable fire extinguishers are good for 6 years, and disposable fire extinguishers are good for 12 years.