WESTLAKE, Ohio — Not many people know that the No. 1 cause of fires and fire injuries in the home happens in the kitchen. In particular, unattended cooking is the leading hazard related to home fires, with scald burns coming in second.
The Westlake Fire Department has participated this year in the national Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen campaign to bring awareness to these types of fire danger. The campaign shares simple but important actions that can be taken to keep ourselves safe in the kitchen.
To that end, here is a cooking safety checklist of questions to ask yourself about your own kitchen:
Does an adult always pay attention to things that are cooking?
Does an adult watch the stovetop when he/she is frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food?
If an adult must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, does he or she turn off the stove burner?
Are things that can burn — such as dish towels, curtains or paper — away from the stovetop?
Are the stovetop, burners and oven clean — no spilled food, grease, paper or bags?
Are pot handles turned toward the back of the stove when an adult is cooking?
Do children and pets stay out of the kid-free zone (3 feet from the stove) when an adult is cooking?
Are containers opened slowly after being removed from the microwave? Hot steam can escape from containers and cause burns.
Does your family have working smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside all sleeping areas and in each bedroom?
Does your family have a home fire escape plan? Do you practice the plan?
If you can answer yes to all the questions, great job. If some questions are answered no, work together as a family to turn them into a yes.
Faces of Westlake
The annual Faces of Westlake awards are open for 2021 nominations of residents or groups who are making important contributions to the community.
Selected honorees will be recognized in the City of Westlake’s 2021 Westlake Magazine. Copies of the magazine are mailed to every home and are available to visitors at City Hall and in hotel rooms in the city.
Printable nomination forms are available at the City of Westlake website; the form also can be completed online. Provide as much information as possible about the nominee. Deadline for nominations is Monday, Nov. 23.
Visit https://www.cityofwestlake.org/FormCenter/Faces-of-Westlake-Nomination-Forms-15/Faces-of-Westlake-Nomination-Form-2021-81 for instructions to print or complete a nomination online.
Read more from the West Shore Sun.