{"id":109899,"date":"2015-06-05T21:13:59","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T11:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=109899"},"modified":"2020-11-12T14:49:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T04:49:12","slug":"33-kitchen-fires-last-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/06\/05\/33-kitchen-fires-last-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"33 Kitchen Fires Last Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The majority of house fires start in the kitchen, and often on the stove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 5, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firefighters are reminding South Burnett residents to be careful when working in the most fire-prone area of their homes \u2013 the kitchen.<\/p>\n

QFES North Coast Region Assistant Commissioner John Bolger said the kitchen was the starting point for the majority of Queensland house fires.<\/p>\n

\u201cKitchen fires are particularly dangerous as they have the potential to start and spread quickly throughout the house in minutes,\u201d Mr Bolger said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, around 225 house fires were caused by cooking equipment during the winter months, that\u2019s more than two fires starting in the kitchen every day across the State, during this period.<\/p>\n

\u201cNorth Coast Region had 33 kitchen fires during the winter months in 2014 and we would like to see that number drop this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cCooking fires are the most common cause of all house fires. They can start from seemingly harmless everyday appliances like toasters, microwaves and stoves, and have devastating consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Bolger said there were plenty of ways to reduce fire risk while working in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever leave cooking unattended and always supervise children in the kitchen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever use water to extinguish fat or oil fires.<\/p>\n

“Always clear away food crumbs and scraps from cooking appliances after use and keep electrical appliances away from water and open flames.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll residents should have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket accessible in the kitchen and know how to use them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cResidents should also check their smoke alarms are in good working order by testing and cleaning them every month.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a kitchen fire does occur and can\u2019t be safely put out, residents are urged to switch off the appliance if they can, leave immediately, and call Triple Zero (000) from a safe place.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder no circumstance should you re-enter the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf the 15 people who died in house fires in 2014, nine lost their lives in winter and it is our goal to put a freeze on fire fatalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

QFES offers a free service to assist residents with fire safety around their home.<\/p>\n