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OCTOBER 4 – 10, 2020 IS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
For Immediate Release:
October 5, 2020
Contact:
Julie Happy
Community Affairs Manager
Spokane Valley Fire Department
509-892.4155
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OCTOBER 4 – 10, 2020 IS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
PREVENTION WEEK WILL FOCUS ON FIRE SAFETY IN THE KITCHEN
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According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.
Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) wants to share safety tips to keep you from having a cooking fire. Join SVFD every day during Fire Prevention Week October 4 – 10, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Nextdoor.com, or YouTube for ways to keep your home and family fire risk free in the kitchen.
Some quick tips to start practicing now:
- Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
- You have to be alert when cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.
- Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
- Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
“A cooking fire can grow quickly,” said Spokane Valley Fire Department Fire Marshal, Greg Rogers. “I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire prevention, visit www.fpw.org.
About Spokane Valley Fire Department
Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 125,000, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas within the 75-square miles of Spokane County Fire District 1. In 2019, SVFD firefighter crews, including its paramedics and EMTs, responded to more than 18,326 emergency calls.
Established eighty years ago in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an Accredited Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and by the fire district’s ISO Class 2 rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau.
Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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Did you Know?
- You can sign up for a station tour. Great for small groups.
- You should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year.
- Creating a defensible space with regards to wildfires could just save your home or property.
- We have Friends & Family CPR classes every month.