Fires are most likely to start in the kitchen, bedrooms and living room, according to a leading supplier of insurance in Canada.
Cooking equipment that ignites clothing, oil or flammable liquids are the leading sources of preventable house fires, according to SGI Canada, a statement that broadly aligns with findings from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It finds that 49 per cent of home fires are caused by cooking.
RELATED: Saanich firefighters prepare for modified Fire Prevention Week focused on kitchen safety
This finding echoes appeals from local firefighters during Fire Prevention Week in calling on families to establish to create a ‘kid-free zone’ of at least three feet around stove and areas where there is hot food or drinks. Sidney Volunteer Fire Department is also calling on families to turn pot and pan handles inward so that they can’t be easily knocked over, while keeping a ‘close eye on what you fry’ as most home cooking fires involve the stove.
Keep kids safe in the kitchen! Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around stove and areas where there is hot food or drinks #FirePreventionWeek #FireSafety https://t.co/jSvMD6b5q4
— SidneyVFire (@SidneyVFire) October 8, 2020
For #FirePreventionWeek, we’re highlighting why it’s important to serve up safety in the kitchen – as 49% of home fires are caused by cooking (@NFPA)! See how fire spreads in a kitchen from our recent research burn. Have working smoke alarms, an escape plan & #CloseBeforeYouDoze. pic.twitter.com/kWwMjwbNmn
— UL FSRI (@UL_FSRI) October 6, 2020
According to the NFPA, citing figures from a Red Cross survey, nearly 70 per cent of respondents said they have left the kitchen while cooking.
According to SGI, Canada records about 24,000 house fires each year, resulting in an average of 377 deaths and 3,048 injuries per year.
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