Fire safety week

November 24 to 30 is National Home Fire Safety Week, and the Canada Safety Council encourages
home cooks to put safety on the front-burner and
prevent cooking fires.
• Stand by your pan. Don’t wander away when you have something on the stove.

• Don’t give clutter a home on the range. If it’s not a pot or pan, it doesn’t belong on the stovetop. Keep paper towels, rags or other combustibles away from the burners, and don’t use your oven for storage.

• Order in if you’re stewed or half-baked. Cooking while tipsy is asking for trouble.

If a fire ignites, know what to do.

1. If the fire has already spread from the pan, then get out, stay out, and call for help.

2. If you the fire is confined to the pan:

• Put a lid on it. A tightfitting lid clasped on top of the pan should immediately cut off the source of oxygen from the flames.

• Shut it off and leave the lid on until the pan has cooled completely.

• Don’t add water. Water will spread a grease fire and make things worse.

• If at first you don’t succeed, quit. If you are unable to contain a blaze within 30 seconds, get out as per Step 1.

3. If your clothing catches fire: stop, drop and roll.

Submitted