Cooking Fire and Burn Safety

Learn to prevent fires and burns when cooking. 

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Learn to protect your home and family from cooking fires and burns. 

Cooking safety tips

Keep it Clean

• Clean up grease spills
• Keep groceries, food packaging, towels, and other flammable materials away from the stovetop
• Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent spills
• Create a three-foot child-free zone around the stove
• Don’t put metal in a microwave: utensils, aluminum foil or twist-tie wraps can cause a fire
• Only use the oven for cooking, not for heating or storage

Stand By Your Pan

• Remain in the kitchen when boiling, broiling, or frying food
• Set a timer when baking or roasting so you don't lose track of time
• Loose sleeves can ignite if they get too close to burners or heating elements: wear clothing with short or tight-fitting sleeves
• If you're drowsy or impaired, order takeout: falling asleep with food on the stove can cause a serious fire, injury, or worse

Put a Lid on It

• In the event of a fire on the stovetop, cover the pan with a lid or cookie sheet to smother the flames
• Never try to move a burning pan or douse it with water
• For a fire in the oven or microwave, leave the door closed, turn off the appliance, and call the fire department
• If you can't extinguish the fire quickly, get to safety and call 9-1-1
• If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop, and roll to put out the flames. Put burns in cool running water for 10-15 minutes. Call 9-1-1 for help.

Additional Resources

Cooking Fire Safety Toolkit

Grilling Safety

Thanksgiving Fire Safety

Cooking Fire and Burn Safety - English

Cooking Fire and Burn Safety – Spanish

Cooking Fire and Burn Safety – Portuguese