Did you know that 85% of university housing fires are cooking fires? Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributing factor in college cooking fires, and there are more than 3,000 university cooking fires each year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Please observe the following safety precautions while cooking on campus.
- Cook only where it is permitted.
- Never leave cooking unattended.
- Frying poses the greatest risk. In case of a grease fire, put a lid over it. Never put water on a grease fire.
- If a fire starts in a microwave, keep the door closed and unplug the unit.
- If you use electric appliances, be careful to not overload circuits.
- Stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.