FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 20, 2015) -- Cooking a home-cooked meal can be a time when families come together for a bonding experience, but if left unattended, that experience could become a nightmare.
That's why officials at the Fort Rucker Aviation Branch Safety Office urge people to stay aware when cooking in the home on the stove or outdoors on the grill.
"The biggest danger is loss of property and loss of life," said Robert Chenard, ABSO safety specialist. "A cooking fire or a grease fire can get everywhere. It'll start splattering and the fire can spread, so it can get pretty bad and out of hand pretty quickly."
Fort Rucker regulation FR 420-5 states that kitchen ranges, deep fat fryers and barbecue grills are not to be left unattended, whether cooking in or outdoors, or on an electric stove or open flame.
"Anything can catch on fire," said Chenard. "If you put a cloth too close to a heating element on a stove or a gas burner, the cloth can catch fire, and it can just evolve from there."
All of the housing units and buildings on Fort Rucker are equipped with fire extinguishers, but Chenard said it's important to know the type of fire you're dealing with before attempting to extinguish it.
"With a grease fire, you want to make sure to be careful," he explained. "If you blow a projectile onto a grease fire, which is what a fire extinguisher does, it will just push the fire and potentially spread it. Also, you never want to throw water on a grease fire because that will do the same thing, and cause the grease to pop and splatter and spread."
Chenard said the best course of action when dealing with a small grease fire is to smother it. Use a lid to cover the fire if it's in a pot or pan. In the event that the fire escalates, he said that people should call the fire department and exit the building.
"Don't try to fight an out-of-control fire," said the safety specialist. "If it gets out of hand you need to get everybody out and call the fire department and let them handle it," emphasizing that making sure everyone in the building is safe and away from danger.
Children should also be kept away from cooking areas to prevent accidents. Handles from pots and pans should be turned in a way that a small child cannot reach and grab, said Chenard.
Also, with weather warming up, more and more people will be taking to the outdoors to grill, and people should be extra cautious when dealing with open flames.
Regulation states that when cooking outdoors on Fort Rucker, cooking is only allowed in approved cooking areas, and when in those areas, outdoor cooking appliances must be monitored at all times and not be operated in carports, garages or within 50 feet of a building.
In the housing areas, those appliances should also be constantly monitored and should not be operated within 10 feet of the house.
"The biggest reason behind that is because the grills put off a lot of heat," said Chenard. "I had (my grill) too close to my house once, and although I made sure I could open the lid without it touching the house, it was still too close. We had plastic siding on the house, and I noticed the plastic started to warp from the heat, so you want to make sure to keep that 10-foot distance -- just a couple of feet may not be enough."
It's also important to make sure to only use outdoor grills in properly ventilated areas, he said, to avoid inhalation of smoke and damage to property. Also, it's important to make sure the grill fire is getting enough air to avoid potential flare ups, he added.
When cooking either indoors or outdoors, Chenard said it's always important to have a plan in case of emergency.
"You want to make sure to have a plan to get out of the house and you want to know where everybody is if you're planning to evacuate," said the safety specialist. "The first thing you should try to do if the fire is small enough is put it out, but if not, call 911 right away."
Even when a fire is put out, Chenard suggests that people notify the proper authorities to come out and assess the situation to prevent further damage.
Related Links:
USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter
Social Sharing