Fire official gives kitchen safety tips
Never leave home while oven or stove are in use
By Daniel Wolowicz camarillo@theacorn.com

It's that time of year when aspiring chefs don their aprons and oven mitts and bake, broil, sauté and simmer those wonderfully tasty dishes that make the holidays special.

But with that "Kiss the Cook" apron come a few safety tips that fire department officials would like down-home cooks to keep in mind.

"Most of our fires start in the kitchen," said Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department.

Last year, the VCFD received about 30,000 service calls from throughout the county. Of those, nearly 3,000 were fire calls.

He said it's important to be sure flammable items such as paper and cloth towels, oven mitts and curtains are kept off countertops near the stove.

Parker said it's also vital to turn pot handles inward toward the stove's center to avoid the chance of a child bumping into a handle and spilling a pan of scalding soup or water. Appliance cords should be kept neatly coiled on a countertop.

"Kids and pets should always be 3 feet away from the stove while you're cooking," Parker said.

Also, don't wear loosefitting clothing, such as a nightgown or a bathrobe, while cooking.

Parker warned that it's dangerous to leave the kitchen when the stove or oven is in use. He said that even if the flame or heat is on the low setting, it's never a good idea to go to the store for a missing ingredient or take a lengthy phone call away from what's cooking.

If a kitchen fire does start, Parker said, the best defense is to have a fire extinguisher nearby and ready to use. Although baking soda can put out a fire, Parker warned that fires- especially those in a kitchen- create a lot of smoke and it's difficult to get close enough to douse flames with baking soda.

Because fires spread quickly, it's a good idea to have a quick escape route planned.

"A lot of times with these cooking fires . . . people barely have enough time to get out of the house safely," Parker said.

Cooking safety also includes using the microwave. "Microwaves are very easy to use and kids don't realize how hot . . . the food gets," Parker said. "They go to take a bite and they burn their mouth."

He also warned that food cooked in a microwave, particularly bagged items, may trap scalding steam that can cause serious burns.