October 8-14 is Fire Prevention Week. Remember - “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”

October 8-14 is #FirePreventionWeek! This year’s FPW theme “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention,” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe when cooking. Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By taking the following few safety tips you can prevent these fires.

Cook with Caution

• Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop. 
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. 
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire... 

• On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire… 

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire. 
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.

Find more cooking safety tips at: bit.ly/3URHKJM

This year’s theme is a great reminder about knowing what to do and practicing a home fire escape for when a fire emergency happens.

Stay tuned throughout this week for more safety tips!

In honor of #FirePreventionWeek, the City will provide daily fire safety tips on social media and in the City Manager's Weekly Administrative Report.  Subscribe to the Weekly Administrative Report listserv at rpvca.gov/notify. And be sure to visit fpw.org for additional fire safety tips and resources.