Kitchen Fire Clean-Up and Precautions

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It is the hub of all the day-to-day activities and a fire outbreak in the kitchen can be both very disrupting and very devastating financially. Water Mold Fire, 800-905-0277, knows that the smallest of fires can cause significant damage throughout your home, even in rooms that weren’t affected by the flames. So it is extremely important to protect yourself and your family against the dangers of a kitchen fire. Here are ideas for you to consider in helping to prevent kitchen fires in your home.

Kitchen Fire Prevention Tips

Here are some useful tips that you can employ to prevent kitchen fires from ever occurring in your home:

• Be Attentive - Always pay attention to your cooking. Never leave it unattended. If you need leave the kitchen make sure that you turn off the burner on your stove, your oven, or any other cooking appliances. If you are grilling, frying or broiling, check the food regularly and set a timer to alert you when the food is done. Before going to bed at night, double check that you have turned off all the stove, oven, and any other kitchen appliances.
• Reduce Potential Fire Hazards - Move all flammable items away from any heat source, especially the ones that will produce open flames. These items may include paper or plastic grocery bags, paper towels, dish cloths, and pot holders. When cooking also consider your personal items like long hair, long sleeves, the type of material your clothes are made of, etc.
• Clean Surfaces Regularly - Over time, there is a buildup of grease and oil in the kitchen and the best way to prevent a grease fire is to clean all the surfaces in your kitchen properly and regularly. In the case of a grease fire, never throw water on it to extinguish the fire. Instead, use a pan or pot to cut the oxygen supply to the flames.
• Be Prepared for Emergencies - Install a smoke detector in your kitchen and make sure it is working order. Test the detector regularly and make sure the batteries are well charged. Keep a fire extinguisher close at hand to extinguish any fires if one should break out. The larger the better but remember the strength and size of the person most likely to use it; too large may be too heavy. Also check the classification of the fire extinguisher. The best for a kitchen should have an A, B, C combination rating (this rating is good for use on ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids, or electrical fires)

Putting Out The Fire

If a fire starts in your kitchen, you need to stay calm but act quickly to keep the fire from getting out of control.

• Call the fire department so that help will be on the way, even IF you think things are under control.
• If the fire is in your oven or microwave, close the door and keep it closed. The lack of oxygen will help extinguish the flames.
• If the fire is in a pan, put a lid on it and move the pan off the burner if possible. Again the lack off oxygen will help starve the flame.
• If the flames are too large and you can’t approach them safely, use your fire extinguisher and aim it at the base of the flames.
• NEVER USE WATER ON A KITCHEN FIRE.
• If you don't have a fire extinguisher, throw lots of baking soda or salt on the fire.
• NEVER USE FLOUR AS IT MAY CAUSE AB EXPLOSION.
• If the fire seems to be out of control, get everyone out of the house and wait for the fire department.

Handling the Cleaning

It is best to leave any fire damage cleanup to professionals. Using the wrong cleaning agent or the wrong technique could possibly cause irreversible damage to previously salvageable items. Water Mold Fire Restoration professionals have the equipment, experience and know the proper techniques to restore your kitchen to the pre-loss condition quickly, effectively and safely. Here is what you can do before our emergency response teams arrive:

• Open all the doors and windows to let out smoke and odors.
• Wear protective clothing.
• Remove all the valuable items and things that can be salvaged.
• Do not eat or drink anything that has been stored in the area of the fire.

Take any and all necessary steps to prevent a kitchen fire. If a kitchen fire does occur, our cleaning process will depend on the source of the fire (what got combusted) and the severity. The smoke and soot will disperse and settle on the surfaces and fabrics throughout your home. The smoke will be attracted to cooler surfaces like the inside of your refrigerator and freezer. If water is used by firefighters, structural drying will be necessary to prevent the growth of mold.

If you have had a kitchen fire, call our Water Mold Fire Restoration team of experts at 800-905-0277, who are available 24/7 to help you get your home back to its pre- loss condition. If you prefer, you can email us for a free quote at help@watermoldfire.net.