{Top Causes of Kitchen Fires|Tips to Avoid Kitchen Fires|Be Proactive and Avoid Kitchen Fires}

KitchenFire{The #1 cause of house fires and injuries to homeowners are kitchen fires|Kitchen fires are the #1 cause of house fires and injuries to homeowners}, so avoiding them is a {noteable|worthy|important} goal for {each|every} household. {Using|Taking} common-sense precautions can {decrease|greatly reduce} the chance of {starting|igniting} a cooking fire during meal {prep|preparation}, and understanding how to avoid these fires is {easy|simple} and smart. Listed {below|here} are {a few|several} {suggestions|recommendations} from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

1. Cooking oil, a {main|primary|key} ingredient for frying and sautéing, is also a prime cause of sudden stove-top fires. {Intelligent|Smart} cooks heat oils slowly to the {required|needed|desired} temperature, then add food gently to {decrease|reduce} the chance of splatter and flare-up. {Having|Keeping} an appropriately sized lid {beside|next} to your pan gives you a means to {expediently|quickly} cover the pan and snuff out sudden flames.

2. {Smart|Great|Good} chefs always {remain|stay} in the kitchen; unattended cooking is a dangerous gamble. Staying in the kitchen, {particularly|especially|specifically} when frying, grilling, broiling or boiling, is a smart and obvious {method|way} to avoid an out-of-control fire.

3. Roasting, simmering and baking foods takes {added|additional|more} time. While the {chances|likelihood} of a fire may seem less, the {primary|main} culprit is {not remembering|forgetting} to check on your meal. Set a timer to remind you to check back every so often, and {make|be} sure that any wooden utensils, oven mitts, paper products, dish towels and curtains are {placed|moved} far away from heat sources.

4. Early morning and late evening cooking coincides with the time you may be more {sleepy|tired}. Staying alert is staying safe, so {make|be} sure you’re not too {tired|exhausted|sleepy} or distracted by other tasks. {Drinking|Consuming} alcohol {might|can} be enjoyable {while|when} {prepping|preparing|cooking} meals, but it is also a risk that {can|should} be minimized if not completely avoided.

5. Fight or flight. There is no concrete answer concerning whether it is better to fight a kitchen fire or immediately leave the room, close the door behind you and call for help. If you’re really {not sure|unsure}, {choose|take} the safest route and call 911 as soon as you and all others can {exit|leave} the kitchen.

NFPA studies {state|report} that {over 50|55} percent of the people who were injured in reported nonfatal home cooking fires during 2005-2009 were injured when they {attempted|tried} to fight the fire themselves. One of every four house fires reported in 2007-2011 started with fat or grease, and one of every three fire injuries resulted from these fires.