Cooking is the number one cause of home fires in Alberta. Cooking oil and fat fires account for a large proportion of these fires. Be extra careful when cooking. The best way to fry foods is to use an electric-temperature-controlled skillet or a deep-fat fryer.

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.
• Turn all pot handles inward and out of reach of children.
• Keep curtains and loose clothing away from the stove.
• Use a burner that fits the pot and keep covers handy to extinguish fire.
• Use thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers for heating cooking oils.
• Never pour water on a grease or oil fire; put a lid on it instead. This smothers the fire and keeps it from spreading.
• Use baking soda on shallow grease fires and never turn on the overhead fan as this could spread the fire.
• If a fire occurs inside your oven or microwave, immediately shut off the appliance, close the door and keep it closed.

Burn prevention

In Canada, an estimated 9,000 children go to the hospital because of burns. Many of these burns are due to scalds and hot liquids. The most common cause of burn injuries to children is from hot liquid scalds like spilled hot drinks and tap water.