Smoke alarms can alert you to a fire, and sprinklers can extinguish a blaze. Beyond that, fire extinguishers are a must.

If it’s small enough and you think you can put it out, “always make sure everyone is out of the house and at a safe distance,” says Heather Paul of State Farm Insurance.

Most home fires occur in the kitchen; unattended cooking is the leading cause. For any kitchen fire, turn off the heat.

For a grease fire or any pan fire on the stove, place a metal lid or plate over the fire to cut off the oxygen supply.

A fire extinguisher can handle a grease fire. Don’t use water; that only makes the fire spread.

If the fire is contained to the pot, bank the spray from the extinguisher off the back of the stove or the bottom of the microwave if it’s above the stove.

If the oil or grease has already spilled and the top of the oven is on fire, sweep the spray of the extinguisher at the base of the fire.

For a toaster fire, unplug the toaster and use an extinguisher. If a fire is in the oven or microwave, leave the door closed until the fire burns out.

Fire extinguishers are not created equal. Some are rated for fires involving paper, trash and cloth; some for fires involving flammable liquids; still others for electrical fires. Some are multipurpose — the best for homes.

Not sure what to buy? Visit a fire station or www.nfpa. org.

Article Credits: WILLIAM HAGEMAN, Chicago Tribune via Columbus Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2011/03/27/to-fight-kitchen-blazes-cut-off-air.html?sid=101

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

• Keep cooking areas and appliances clean and clear of combustibles. Don’t place towels, potholders, or food packaging on the stove or near hot appliances. You might accidentally turn on the wrong burner.
• Clean any grease buildup from the stove, oven or exhaust fan regularly. Cooking oil creates vapors that collect on kitchen surfaces, such as cupboards, counters and curtains. This vapor build-up could act as fuel to a fire in the kitchen.
• When cooking with grease and oil, keep in mind that they ignite easily and burn rapidly. Keep a lid, cookie sheet, or large pan handy should you need to cover a pan fire to smother it. Don’t use water or flour as it will make the fire larger.
• Avoid loose-fitting clothes like nightgowns or robes while cooking. Roll up your sleeves and keep other pieces of clothing well away from hot stove top elements. To avoid having to reach over the stove while it is in use, store frequently needed items in other areas of the kitchen. If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop to the ground, and roll to extinguish the flames.
• Turn pot handles inward so they can’t be bumped and are out of reach of children.
• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended and keep a close eye on anything baking in the oven.
• Protect yourself from an oven fire by turning off the heat and keeping the door closed.
• Shield yourself from steam when uncovering food, especially micro-waved servings.
• Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot. Remove the lids and other coverings from micro-waved food carefully to prevent steam burns.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.

On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Assn. of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should henceforth be observed not with festivities, but in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls.

Fire prevention programs and educational events are available across the country during this campaign. Be sure to visit your local Fire Department during Fire Prevention Week. Fire Departments across the country will be hosting free Open Houses designed to welcome the public and give local citizens the opportunity to meet their local firefighters, ask questions, get a hands on look inside the station, trucks as well as learn more about the various aspects of the fire service.

Please educate yourself on Kitchen, Electrical and Bath Safety – focusing on Burn Prevention! Know the dangers of fire and the importance of sprinklers, smoke alarms and candle/cooking/smoking safety now – practice your escape routes in the event of a fire.  Before winter arrives, check your home for new batteries in your smoke alarms! Don’t forget to practice safety and have fun this fall!

Source: NFPA, The National Fire Protection Association – The authority on fire, electrical and burn safety. (To learn more about fire Prevention Week visit: Eight decades of Fire Prevention.)