• Between 1999-2002, there were 114,000 reported home fires associated with cooking equipment every year, resulting in an annual 290 deaths and 4,380 injuries.
• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires.
• Three in 10 reported home fires start in the kitchen -- more than any other place in the home.
• Two out of three reported home cooking fires start with the range or stove.
• Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fires, injuries and property damage, compared to gas ranges or stoves, but gas ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fire deaths.

• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility.
• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven.
• Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet (1 meter) around the stove. Keep pets from underfoot so you do not trip while cooking. Also, keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto burner.
• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire.
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated.
• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don't remove the lid until it is completely cool. Never pour water on a grease fire and never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire, as it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire.
• If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.
• If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave. Call the fire department and make sure to have the oven serviced before you use it again. Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot. Remove the lids or other coverings from microwaved food carefully to prevent steam burns.

• A study published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 75% of range or stove fires started with food ignitions. Forty-three percent began with cooking oil; 33% started with fish or meat. Sixty-three percent of the range or stove fires beginning with food occurred when someone was frying.
• Fifty-five percent of the people who were injured in non-fatal reported home cooking fires during 1999-2001 were injured when they tried to fight the fire themselves.
• One of every seven home fires reported in 1994-1998 started with fat or grease. One of every six reported fire injuries resulted from these fires

• Cooking with oil requires close attention.
• Never cook when under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication.
• When frying, stay by your pan. Simply turning away from the cooktop may be enough time for a fire to start and get out of control.
• When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves. Loose-fitting clothing is more likely to catch fire from a stove burner.
• Make sure pans and utensils are dry – oil and water don’t mix.
• If the oil starts to boil (bubbling), remove it from the heat source. Just lowering the temperature of the burner will not reduce the heat quickly enough, especially on an electric stovetop
• Be careful not to over-fill your pan or pot with oil. You need enough room in the pan to allow for the food to be added. If you have too much oil in the pan, oil is likely to overflow the pan and contact the burner, where it can catch fire.
• If the oil catches fire, wearing an oven mitt, immediately, but carefully slide a lid over the pan to smother the fire. Turn off the burner and slide the pan off the heat source. Keep the pan covered until the oil cools to prevent it from starting again.
• If the oil has overflowed from the pan and ignites, get everyone out of the home and call the fire department from outside.
• Never use water to extinguish a cooking oil fire.

National Fire Protection Association