HELPING TO KEEP YOUR HOLIDAY SAFE FROM COOKING FIRES AND SOME TIPS!

11/24/2015 (Permalink)

Each November, families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving by preparing a delicious feast, but if you don't practice safe cooking habits, your happy holiday could become hazardous very quickly due to fire. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the main cause for home fires and injuries.  With Thanksgiving being the peak day for cooking-related fires, review the following safety tips to ensure you can enjoy a safe holiday.

1) Never leave cooking food unattended.  Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If someone must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, they turn off the stove.

2) Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a "kid-free zone" and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.

3) Keep anything flammable such as pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging and towels-away from the stove, oven or any other appliance in the
kitchen that generates heat.

4) Do not wear loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.

5) Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease build-up.

6) Purchase a fire extinguisher to keep in the kitchen.

7) Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off.

8) Install a smoke alarm near the kitchen, on each level of the home, near sleeping areas and inside and outside bedrooms.

A fire loss can result in complex damages because of the unique behavior of smoke.

Here are some facts you may not know about smoke and how it moves through your home:

1. Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.

2. Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to
go from floor to floor.

3. The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

There are primarily two different types of smoke- wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire.

Before restoration begins, one of the SERVPRO Franchise Professionals from SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA or SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle, DE will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during
pretesting. Here is some additional information regarding the various types of smoke.

Wet Smoke (Plastic and Rubber)
Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke (Paper and Wood)
Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises, therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue (Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire) Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot (Furnace Puff Backs)                                     While "puff backs" can create havoc for homeowners, SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA or SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle, DE can, in most cases, restore the contents and structure quickly.

Other Types (Tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residue)

Certain loss situations require special care. Our teams of SERVPRO Franchise Professionals are trained to handle even the toughest losses.

SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA & SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle, DE, proudly serves those in need!  We will be on site quickly and our staff will give you the personalized attention you deserve.  We specialize in the cleanup of water damage, fire damage, smoke damage, mold removal, trauma cleanup, vandalism cleanup, carpet cleaning and duct cleaning.  Let us help you make it, “Like it Never Even Happened!”  Visit either of our websites for assistance.  Pennsylvania customers visit –www.SERVPROofupperdarby.com or www.SERVPROofbearnewcastle.com if you’re located in Delaware.  To speak to a qualified team member, call 1-877-352-0700.