Fire Prevention Week message
Watch what you heat!

Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 8-14, and Caledon's Fire & Emergency Services Department is reminding residents to "watch what you heat" in order to prevent cooking fires. During this year's campaign, firefighters and safety advocates are educating residents about how to prevent cooking fires from starting in the first place.

According to the latest research from the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. One out of three home fires begins in the kitchen - more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries.

"When we're called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents often tell us that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes," said Caledon Fire Chief Brad Bigrigg. "Sadly, that's all the time it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they've suffered a damaging lesson."

Among the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates emphasize:

* Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.

* Turn off the stove if you have to leave the room - even for a short period of time.

* When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer.

* If you have young children, use the stove's back burners whenever possible.

* Keep children and pets at least three away from the stove.

* When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.

* Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper/plastic bags, towels (and anything else that can burn) away from your stovetop.

* Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops. Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. This is the 85th year that fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making the longest-running public health and safety observance on record.