How to avoid kitchen fires-be safe and be attentive when cooking
This morning, I saw the re-broadcast of L'Epicerie on Radio-Canada-the first segment (la cuisine brule) dealt with kitchen fires and how they can be responsible for a significant number of deaths due to fire in Montreal.
The show is in French-video is an effective way to learn information even if you don't speak the language.
http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/l_epicerie/2013-2014/Reportage.asp?idDoc=321330&autoPlay=http://www.radio-canada.ca/Medianet/2013/cbft/2013-11-27_19_30_00_EPI_0580_01_1200.asx
Tips offered are:
-be attentive when cooking (don't get distracted by phone, etc.)
-turning cooking pot handles to the inside of the stove perimeter (no handles over any edge of the stovetop); don't have kitchen towels on the stove edge>better to hang them on oven door handle
-when using a cooking pot lid (one is supposed to always have that lid nearby) to smother a fire, slide it sideways and slowly to achieve the goal. Dropping a lid vertically and quickly may cause a flame to come out the sides of the pot interior
-fire extinguishers-I believe the safety officer said they should be located by the doorways of the kitchen-should be sprayed with a steady and slow stream
You'll see what happens when you douse a flame with water or with flour.
Guess what I noticed this morning-my father left a gas burner on low after frying up his breakfast. How did I notice? I heard a whoosh sound from the gas ring when I passed by the stove to leave someone's glass on the kitchen counter. It's not the first time either and I called him into the kitchen to turn it off. Then I opened the window for a few minutes to air out the gas.
Both of my parents tend not to stay in the kitchen if they are heating up soup or boiling water--they are not listening to me when I say use the built-in timer so you'll have to shut it off and check on your pot on the stove. Sometimes I'll put the timer on for 1 minute when I see a pot unattended to find out who'll react to the sound when it goes off.