Fire prevention starts in the kitchen

Firefighters are organizing activities to help residents and students be better prepared.

By: Donna Lukiw
   Hillsborough firefighters have an important tip for residents: Watch what you heat.
   That’s the message of this year’s Fire Prevention Week, running Monday through Oct. 13, and to help residents and students be better prepared for fires, the firefighters are organizing several activities.
   "This is the one week we try to get the message out to the public," Fire Marshal Chris Weniger said. "There’s been a rise in house fires nationally but we’ve also seen it here."
   This year’s theme during Fire Prevention Week is "use caution when cooking" due to the high number of kitchen fires.
   "There’s been a trend of cooking fires," Mr. Weniger said. "The most common place to have a fire is in the kitchen."
   According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 82 percent of all fire deaths occur in the home and cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. It is also the leading cause of fire injuries, and deaths due to fires caused by cooking are particularly preventable. More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires and more than 20,000 are injured.
   Having a working smoke alarm reduces one’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly one-half, according to the fire administration.
   Residents can experience the disorientation caused by smoke and learn how to evacuate a smoke-filled building at Woods Road Volunteer Fire Company’s open house, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
   "One of the things that Hillsborough has is a ‘fire survival house’," Mr. Weniger said. "It’s a trailer filled with fake smoke and residents enter the trailer and learn how to get out of a fire and what to do."
   Firefighters will go to all the schools in town, teaching students how to prevent fires and what to do in case of a fire. They also will show students various fire apparatus and the inside of fire engines.
   Mr. Weniger said all residents should make sure they have an operational smoke detector on each floor of their home and an operational carbon monoxide detector outside of any bedroom.
   "Also, this time of year, fire places and furnaces should be maintained and working properly," Mr. Weniger said.
   He said another way to prevent house fires is not to leave anything cooking on the stove or in the oven unattended.
   "That’s the biggest problem," Mr. Weniger said. "People are cooking and then go pick up the phone or take a nap."
   He also said to make sure there is a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.