• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. 
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food. Turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen for any reason.
• If you are simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home. Use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

Keeping Things That Can Catch Fire Away from Heat Sources

• Keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, curtains, etc.) away from your stove top.
• Keep the stovetop, burners and oven clean.
• Keep things that can catch fire away from heat sources. Never use your oven or microwave as a storage space. This can cause a fire.

• Always keep a lid near by when you are cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan. To keep the fire from restarting, leave the lid on until the pan has cooled.
• Never pour water on a cooking pan grease fire.
• Only trained adults should use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire. Only Class K fire extinguishers are rated for the purpose of putting out grease and animal fat fires.
• In case of an over fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed until it is cool. Only open the door once you are confident the fire is completely out, standing to the side as you open the oven door.
• After a fire, the oven should be checked by a licensed professional and/or serviced before being used again.
• When in doubt, just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire. After you leave, call 9-1-1 from a cell phone or a trusted neighbour's phone.

Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.

The Ontario Fire Code makes homeowners responsible for keeping their fireplaces safe and in good repair. Follow these tips to ensure fireplace safety:

• Use a fireplace screen
• Store combustible materials far away from the fireplace
• Visually inspect and clean regularly

Grill to perfection and be fire safe! Use BBQs outdoors only! They produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that can lead to unconsciousness and even death. Never use or store propane cylinders inside any structure, including garages.

Take these steps when starting a BBQ:

• Open the hood.
• Turn on the gas release valve on the tank.
• Turn on the grill controls or heat settings.
• Take a step back.
• Push the igniter button.
• If there is no igniter button, insert a long match or BBQ lighter through the side burner hole first, then turn on the heat control knob. 
• If the burner does not ignite right away, turn the gas off and wait five minutes, keep the hood open, before repeating the procedure.