| Cooking is the main cause of home fires and fire injuries. By practicing fire safety, you can prevent cooking fires and help keep your family safe. |  |
| Stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off. |  |
| Keep an eye on what you fry. Be aware of grease. When too hot, grease can catch fire quickly. Most cooking fires start when someone is frying food. |  |
| Turn pan handles to the back of the stove. No one will be able to bump them or pull them over. |  |
| Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby. Use the lid to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put the fire out. |  |
| Dress to cook. Wear short sleeves or roll sleeves up so they don't catch fire. Loose clothing can inadvertently contact a flame and catch on fire. Tie long hair back to keep away from heat and flames. |  |
| Be alert. Make sure that you are awake and alert. Alcohol and some drugs can make you sleepy. |  |
| Watch the kids. Make sure children and pets stay at least 3 feet away from a hot stove. |  |
| Move things that can burn away from the stove. This includes dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper, and curtains. |  |
| Use a timer. Regularly check food that is simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling. Use a timer as a reminder that food is cooking. |  |
| Have working smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need alarms to give you time to get out. |  |
