The Moose Jaw Fire Department (MJFD) is once again teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year's Fire Prevention Week campaign, which focuses on cooking safely.
The official slogan for 2023's campaign, which runs from October 8 to 14, is 'Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.'
Some facts and tips for Fire Prevention Week, from the NFPA:
- The leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking
- Most cooking fires in the home involve the kitchen stove
- Cooking takes alertness — don't cook if you are sleepy or impaired
- Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and have a kid- and pet-free zone of at least 1 metre around any hot food preparation surface
- If you have to fight a stovetop fire, slide a lid over the pan from the side, turn off the burner, and wait until the pan is completely cooled
- For an oven fire, leave the door closed, turn off the oven, and wait for the fire to die
- When in doubt, just get out — if the fire feels overwhelming, leave the house and call 9-1-1
"A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented," said Cathie Bassett, the MJFD's Public Education Officer.
The Moose Jaw Fire Department is encouraging all resident to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme and check out the associated websites and awareness materials to make their homes safer from the risk of fires.
As part of Fire Prevention Week, the MJFD will host two days of tours at the South Hill Fire Hall on Lillooet Street. Students from grades 6 to 8 will have a chance on Oct. 11 and 12 to see what firefighters do, learn about their equipment, get up close with the fire trucks, visit with mascot Sparky, and, of course, learn all about safe cooking habits.
According to the NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in Canada.
"Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy for the NFPA. "This tells us that there is still much work to do when it comes to educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking."
More information is at www.fpw.org, and (for kids) at www.sparky.org.
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