Fact:   Cooking is the number one cause of residential fires in Ontario.

 Keep a proper-fitting pot lid near the stove when cooking. If a pot catches fire, slide the lid over the pot and turn off the stove. Do not move the pan.

Wear tight-fitting or rolled up sleeves when using the stove. Loose, dangling clothing can easily catch fire. If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop to the ground and roll over and over to put out the fire.

Keep combustible items such as cooking utensils, dishcloths, paper towels and pot holders a safe distance from the stove.

Keep children away from the stove. Make sure electrical cords are not dangling from countertops, where they could be pulled over by small children.

Cool a burn by running cool water over the wound for 3 to 5 minutes. If the burn is severe, seek medical attention.

Always make sure to:

• Stay in the kitchen and pay attention when cooking!
• Drink responsibly when cooking.
• If a fire occurs, get out immediately and call 911

To view a video on kitchen safety please visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVHiDOkbkM&feature=youtu.be

CO alarms monitor airborne concentration levels (parts per million) of CO over time, and sound an alarm when harmful levels are present. They are designed to sense low CO concentrations over a long period of time as well as high concentrations over a short period of time.

CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline, wood, or other bio-fuels. This incomplete combustion can occur in any device that depends on burning a fuel for energy or heat.

Examples of fuel burning devices:

Home furnace
Space heater
Decorative fireplace
Wood stove
Kitchen stove or grill
Gas/charcoal barbeque
Hot water heater
Automobile
Lawnmower

Automobiles left running in an attached garage, a portable generator operating near an open window or in the garage, an outdoor gas barbecue operated inside the house, a grill or kerosene heater that is not properly vented, or a fireplace chimney that is dirty or plugged may create unsafe levels of CO.

When these devices are properly installed, maintained and vented, the CO produced can be prevented from reaching unsafe levels in the home.

Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness and even loss of consciousness, without the elevated temperature associated with the flu. In severe cases, CO poisoning can cause brain damage and death. The elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to CO.

It can poison the body quickly in high concentrations, or slowly over long periods of time.