As Oregon experiences cooler weather and many community members begin to spend more time at home, Umatilla County Fire District # 1 and the Office of State Fire Marshal will be engaging in support of the national campaign of Fire Prevention Week and will be running cooking fire safety messaging for the month of October. Our theme mirrors the 2020 national theme: “Serve up fire safety in the kitchen!™”

“Nationally, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, with unattended cooking being the leading cause of fires in the kitchen,” said Assistant Chief Deputy Claire McGrew. “In Oregon, cooking was the leading known cause of residential structure fires over the past five years, through 2019.”

According to data collected from the Oregon fire service for the National Fire Reporting System, home fires caused 29 deaths in Oregon in 2019, and fire agencies in Oregon responded to 2,790 home fires; and cooking was the leading known cause of residential structure fires over the past five years (2015-19), causing an average of 19 percent of Oregon’s total residential structure fires and six deaths.

In 2019 UCFD #1 experienced six civilian injuries at structure fires causing pain, suffering, and medical treatment.  We had 21 home fires with 7 of these caused by cooking. Cooking fires are the leading cause of structure fires in our district and illustrate the importance of fire safety in the kitchen.

To help keep you safe in the kitchen, cooking fire safety tips include:

• Keep an eye on what you’re cooking — don’t leave cooking unattended.
• Keep your cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (potholders, food packaging, towels, etc.), and wipe up surface spills.
• Create a three-foot kid- and pet-free zone around the stove.
• Older children should only cook with permission and under the supervision of an adult.
• Have a lid or cookie sheet within reach while cooking (to smother flames) in case of a fire.

If a cooking fire does start:

• Put a lid on it! Slide a lid over the pan (from the side) and then turn off the burner.
• Don’t move the pan until the fire is completely extinguished and cooled, and don’t try to transfer the pan to the sink.

If you cannot quickly extinguish the fire:

• Get you and your family safely out of the house.
• If you can, close doors as you are escaping, to help contain the fire.
• Call 911 from a safe place (outside).

Fire Prevention Month is a good reminder as we continue to be in our homes more due to COVID-19 to bring fire safe practices into the home, which will continue to keep you and your families safe from the dangers of fire.”

For more information on home cooking fire safety, please visit the OSFM’s website. Additional resources may also be found on the National Fire Protection Association website.