In the first week of June 2012 on the south-west part of Harrisonburg, a kitchen fire broke out on the stove as a family was cooking lunch. The person who was cooking went upstairs and left the food unattended in the kitchen. When he returned to the kitchen it was a little different; there was light smoke in the air, some soot on the wall around the stove, a burned up pan, and a bunch of white powder everywhere. A Stovetop Firestop saved his home and his entire family. (Stovetop Firestops are small unique devices that mount to your vent hood or microwave above your stove. If a fire breaks out on the stove, the flame activates a fuse that releases powder which puts the fire out. View a Stovetop Firestop in action on YouTube.)
This story could have had quite a different ending. The whole family was home in the upstairs part of the house at the time of the fire. If it had not been for the Stovetop Firestop, the fire could have quickly engulfed the kitchen, trapping the family on the second floor of the home. Keep your family safe and follow a few of these kitchen safety tips:
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Keep a fire extinguisher somewhere (like under the sink) and know how to use it.
- Never put water on a grease fire. Put the lid on the pan, or use baking soda or a fire extinguisher.
- Keep flammables like dish towels and paper/plastic away from hot stoves.
- Call 911 any time there is a fire.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of home and apartment fires. Stovetop Firestops can save your home and your life.