A rash of cooking fires in the city has left the London Fire Department urging people to pay attention while preparing food.
Firefighters have been called to eight cooking fires since the beginning of October. In two recent blazes, there were no working smoke alarms in the home.
“These fires are all preventable," said Chief Fire Prevention Office Wendy Cowdrey. “Going into the holiday season, the number of preventable cooking fires may rise as more people get together and celebrate over a meal. There’s also the increased likelihood that some people will cook while impaired by alcohol. Alcohol and cooking can be deadly combinations."
Unattended or distracted cooking tops the list of known fire causes in London and across Ontario. But despite efforts to educate the public, fire officials feel the message is falling on deaf ears.
They are asking those cooking to stay with the stove or barbecue at all times. If you need to leave before the meal is cooked, turn the burner off and move the pot or pan from the hot burner.
Fire officials stress if a small fire does occur, slide a lid onto the pot to smother the fire and call 911.
Every home is required to have a working smoke alarm on every storey, and near sleeping areas. Smoke alarms provide valuable time to escape in the event of a fire.
Fire officials note modern furniture and building materials ignite and burn very quickly because of padding and cushions that contain petrochemicals. They suggest practicing fire drills in the home, especially if there are young children in the household.
