Virginia McCoy was doing some marketing recently for Clean Response that included review of our fire safety video. The video was recorded during a fire safety seminar for insurance agents.
Like many of us, Virginia is a multitasker. Laundry, meal prepping and work are all done simultaneously to maximize her time. Unfortunately, this division in her attention had unexpected consequences.
She took a break from watching the video to flip a chicken breast in her small, gas stove. She placed the oven mitt on her hand, reached inside with her spatula and flipped the chicken. Unfortunately, she skipped the step of pulling the rack out of the oven. Her mitt got too close to the top of the oven and it immediately caught fire. Luckily, tips from our video came to mind and she knew what to do. She quickly removed the mitt from her hand, placing it in the nearby sink. Taking the lid from a stovetop pan, she covered and extinguished the flames and then let the mitt cool.
After the incident, she reviewed what happened and then reviewed more tips from our fire safety video. Here’s the approach she’ll take in the future:
- Set a timer on her phone for the chicken and keep the phone close so she doesn’t forget about the chicken.
- Remove the towel from the front of the oven – that’s a handle, not a towel rack!
- Pull the oven rack out with her oven mitt and flip the chicken while keeping the mitt from touching the heat source.
- Push the oven rack back into the oven with her oven mitt.
- When the chicken is done cooking, check all knobs to make sure the oven is off.
Did you know that 39 percent of residential fires in Minnesota start in the kitchen? This is just one example of how a kitchen fire could start. Virginia learned a few tips that could keep you and your property safe:
- Keep flammables (towels, curtains, etc.) three feet away from heat sources (ovens, toasters, etc.).
- If a fire erupts, don’t throw water on it. This can spread the flames, especially if you’re dealing with a grease fire.
- Use a lid or non-glass cover as a shield to cover the flames and reduce its oxygen supply. Let the surface area cool before removing the cover.
Our goal at Clean Response is to keep your home safe from fire damage, but accidents like this can happen. We’re there for you — come fire or flood.
Check out our fire damage page and our insurers page for more information (and video!).