Fire Prevention Week Events

Did you know that most home fires start in the kitchen and the main cause of them is unattended cooking? 
As part of Fire Prevention Week, October 6-12, Fort Bragg Fire and Emergency Services Division is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind local residents to ‘Prevent Kitchen Fires.' 

The installations fire departments will be doing their part with displays and handouts at the PX’s, Commissaries, Soldier Support Center and Womack Army Medical Center during the week. 

Among the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates will be emphasizing:
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.
• If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.
• If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.
• When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.
• Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.
• Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops

"Often when we're called to a fire that started in the kitchen, the residents tell us that they only left the kitchen for a few minutes," said Fire Chief Mark Melvin. "Sadly, that's all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks on the installation before they've suffered a damaging lesson."

For more information on this or any other fire prevention topic, contact the Fort Bragg Fire Prevention office, 432-6727 or visit their web site.